Salsa Dancers

Jo Quinones

Raised in the Caribbean, Jo has been surrounded by dance forms all of her life and began dancing ballet, Puerto Rican folklore and jazz at the early age of 5. 

A versatile artist, Jo continued her study of dance by training in ballroom and Latin dance forms before becoming a professional in 1997. Her passion for acting also led her to become a member of the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts. 

Jo has been a member of the Otero Dance Company since 2001. Her stage and television credits include salsa congresses in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Puerto Rico, and special appereances at the Asian International Telecommunications Expo, Telemundo, Univision and CBS. She has been an invited guest performer at Cancun's Club Med and South Carolina's Sea Brook Island. 

Jo is one of the few performers who can thrill an audience and leave them wanting more. Her blend of charisma, sensuality and style entertains and inspires.

 

Mauricio Portal

Mauricio was born in El Salvador and raised in the United States. He has been dancing salsa professionally for over 5 years and joined the Otero Dance Company in 2005.  Before he joined the Otero Dance Company, he danced for over 4 years with world-renowned Rogelio Moreno and Salsabor y Cache Entertainment.

Mauricio's astonishing performance abilities have given him many opportunities to perform with famous artists including the beloved “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony, Franco De Vita, Jose Alberto (“El Canario”), Grupo Niche, and Oscar de Leon. He is now working on Shakira’s new dance video.

His stage and television credits include the Latin Grammys, Fox 11 News, Telemundo, Univision, and El Show de Franco. Mauricio has traveled world wide and performed in salsa congresses in Los Angeles, Chicago, Puerto Rico and Zurich.

Mauricio currently enjoys teaching private lessons and performing with the Otero Dance Company. He is also an Assistant Producer of the Rhythm and Passion Show.

 

Jared Marquez

Jared was born in Chihuahua, Mexico with the heart and soul of a dancer. His dancing is elegant and passionate, an expression of the joy he feels as a dancer. He is honored to be a touring member of the Otero Dance Company,captivating audiences nationally and internationally. Out of all the joys that Jared receives from dancing, the greatest joy, he says, is to get to share it with the rest of the world.

 

Juanita Romano

Juanita Romano was raised in New Mexico and credits her natural sense of rhythm to her Native American background.

She has lived in Los Angeles for two years and has performed for Nike, E! Entertainment, Univision, Dancing with the Stars, and the Imagen Awards with George Lopez. She is the proud co-founder of a non-profit organization that promotes culture and support for the arts in her hometown.

Juanita is thankful to be a dancer with the Otero Dance Company, where she continues to grow and flourish artistically.

 

Javier Fernandez

Javier was born in El Salvador. In addition to mastering Latin dances, he is also a skilled dancer in other styles, such as hip hop, pop-locking, ballet, jazz, and swing.  According to Javier, “Dance is not what I do, it is who I am.”

Javier has performed on Carnival Cruise Lines and is currently a teacher at the West Coast Dance Academy. He joined the Otero Dance Company in 2005.

 

Mariah Porta

Mariah comes from a family of artists and performers. Her very first dance was inside her mother’s womb. Mariah has been dancing salsa, ballet and jazz from the age of four, and over her ten years of career she has been performing worldwide, including the Las Vegas Nationals, Showstoppers and Los Angeles/San Francisco salsa congress. She thoroughly enjoys the art of dance and sharing it with others.

 

Jose Chavarria

Born in Mexico, Jose is a professional dancer and a master teacher in Salsa, Cha Cha, Merengue, Bachata and Guaracha. His extensive career includes national and international performances, participating in the national Latin festival at the sports arena and many salsa congresses around the world. Competing in the world renowned Mayan competition in 2005 and 2006 he has won second and first place respectively. In addition, Jose also performed on television channels such as Telemundo and Univision.

 

Elise Herman

Elise is a professional dancer in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop and salsa, as well as certified aerobic instructor. Elise has been a salsa instructor for several years at the University of Riverside. Along her nationwide performances as a dancer she is pursuing a career in Medicine. In the future, she hopes to open a clinic and promote healthy living using the power of music and dance as healing therapy.

 

Edgar Coria

Edgar Coria was born in Mexico City. His passion for dancing was discovered in 1996. He quickly became a dedicated lifetime student. From the history of dance to it’s most modern style, he continuously finds himself lost in the music. Both the camaraderie with fellow dancers and sharing his gift with others deepen his zest for dance. Through determination, Edgar continues to seek knowledge to enrich his instruction and skills by staying abreast of all the current trends. He hopes to be an inspiration to young dancers everywhere. A favorite quote he recalls from one of his mentors states, “Dancers aren’t made of their technique, but their passion”.

 

Jeanine Jaime

Jeanine Jaime began her dance career at the age of 18 with modern Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop and Belly dancing. In 2000, her professional Salsa and Ballroom career started to rise and by 2003 she has already performed nationwide. In addition, she is a full time student majoring in Liberal Studies.
Pursuing her passion of dance, she accompanied many dance companies throughout their worldwide performances, film and live stage shows, movies and television.