Profile

Chris (The guy with the braided hair!)

How did it all happen?

Royston and Chris, inseparable buddies make it one evening to Savage Garden Restaurant and Club, Capitol Hotel, Dubai in February 2000. They were Clear about what they wanted out of life after a hard day’s work. With intermittent stops and starts on the dance floor, Royston and Chris became an inseparable part of the Savage Garden atmosphere where they met a Chilean couple who showed them authentic Latin grooves. With much commitment and dedication, Chris was fortunate to have Tami, (Founder of Team Salsa, Dubai) an English lady with Nigerian roots, as his inspiration. All this in the making was later destined to make Royston and Chris true connoisseurs of beautiful & melodies dance rhythms. In appreciation of which they both would often go tripping on the light fantastic toe at many Salsa parties.

Royston with his pure spirit and soul in dance, won the Dubai Salsa Dancing Championship in 2002 at the Dubai Salsa Cup, which jointly motivated Chris and Roy to open Salsa classes in 2003 and conduct Salsa Lessons with a lot of dedication, to people who dreamed of dancing but did not know how to approach it.

Ahmed Salsa of the current Tuesday Nights at the Barasti Beach Club, Producer of the Dubai Dance Festival 2008, was also an inseparable part Of the dancing community since 2001. Ahmed’s influence on Chris enabled them to bring a vibrant dance feeling to the city of Dubai that was beginning to show prosperity and a feeling of multiculturalism. Together they created a fusion of in-house techniques in a relaxed atmosphere.

Today Chris has his own Dance & Events Company named "Familia Events Management"

There's no fullstops or parallels to Chris' Participation in International Salsa Festivals and Congresses in

Switzerland	2003/2004/2005/2006
United Kingdom	2002/2003/2004/2006
Germany	2005/2006/2007
France	2006
Belgium	2006
Italy	2006/2007
Holland	2006/2007/2009
Spain	2005/2006 /2007/2008
Portugal	A Salsa Weekend
USA	2005 /2006
Sweden	2008
Bulgaria	2006/2007/ May and August 2008/2009
Romania	2008
Greece	2008
Checz Republic –Prague	2011
Oman	2012
Abu Dhabi	2012
Croatia	2012

Chris's forte

Experience in Choreography with World Maestros... Attended several Master Classes in the United Kingdom and United States with Albert Torres, Johnny Vazquez, Francisco Vazquez,Louis Vazquez and Eddi the Salsa Freak and many more professionals..

Promoter & the host of the two hottest salsa nights in Dubai. Guantanamera night at Monday nights at Sublime and Saturday Salsa Fever at Malecon

Chris of Familia Events Management is an Official Promoter for attendees from the Middle East Regions for several Salsa Festivals,Seminars and Congresses in the world such as Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Sweden, Italy and many more countries.Is also the key organizer of the Dubai Dance Festival and the Dubai International Dance Festival. Chris runs two hottest & exotic Salsa parties in Dubai, the Malecon Salsa Night at Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa on every Saturday and Sublime, Ibis World Trade Centre on every Monday.

Chris loves conducting Salsa Classes in Dubai and is completely immersed in his teaching..

Chris’s passion for teaching dance commenced in March 2003, the same year In which Familia de la Salsa was formed with Royston. Chris began his teaching at the Willow Spa Fitness & Health Club at the Fairmont Hotel. Classes at the The World Trade Centre, " The Club" started in October 2005 and are continuing to date.. Familia De La Salsa Academy is known to be conducting one of the multicultural and busiest Salsa classes in Dubai. Chris has also conducted Dance classes in Bahrain (2007), Sri Lanka (2006, 2007, 2008) and in Romania in 2008.

Some events in the UAE specially in Dubai...

Familia Events Management Company is part of the organizing team for Angel’s Parties, held once in two months,and was a key member of the Dubai International Latin and Salsa Festival (2007 & 2009) and Dubai Dance Festival (DDF)2008. Chris was also Co-Producer Dubai Dance Festival 2010 and the Co- Director of Dubai International Dance Festival 2011(DIDF’11).

He loves to arrange events for the Corporate Sector. Some of the companies that he has performed for are Eurostar, MasterCard and Gitex 2006. He has also performed in major Fashion Shows and International Exhibitions of a high standard & prestige.

Recognitions for Contribution to Community... 

•  Regional Award in 2004 for Unconditional Support to Promote Salsa in UAE.
•  Appreciation award at the Dubai International Latin and Salsa Festival 2007
•  Appreciation award for the Dubai Dance Festival 2008.
•  Appreciation award for organizing Dubai International Dance Festival 2011

Chris is quite philanthropic in nature. He has extended a helping hand to the victims of several disasters such as Tsunami in Sri Lanka, the Lebanon Crisis and to theDubai Autism Centre.

How to meet Chris?

Not difficult to spot!
Chris is happy to dance with you at the 'The Club', which is the Recreation and Fitness Club at the World Trade Centre Apartments and at many other locations. Always joyful and full of energy, he conducts classes on many locations in Private Lessons can also be arranged subject to timings and availability.