FERNANDO BUM BUM E MICHELA VERNATI
I met them being one of the youngest students of their school, throught dance they gave expression to my emotions by communicating me theirs, and these feelings keeps us together after more than 13 years although the distance.
I am very proud I have followed them in the path that led them to introduce as first, in Italy, a dance that today animates the hearts of lots of dancers all over the world. Their Caribbean and Kizomba dance school, La Pachanga, has been a staple
for the city of Terni for 24 years, a city that has hosted the first Italian festival of Angolan culture since 2014, Karipande. The couple is extremely loved also in the rest of Italy and Europe, where they have participated in many international festivals and since 2011 Fernando has been the artistic director for Kizomba at Roma and Bologna Salsa Festival and at Salsitaly. On the international scene, they stand out for their willingness to always put the true origins of the Kizomba as the center of their teaching together with Semba, accentuating the link with tradition.
DAVID PACAVIRA
Afro-Angolan disciplines dancer, Opinion Maker and promoter of cultures, master Pacavira has the ability to transport in his world with the simplicity of an overwhelming Angolan smile.
He has been guest of the largest European festivals and beyond and he operates in the capital of Italy as a founding member of Kizomba Romana ASD, an organization that since 2007 has spread the Angolan world with Kizomba, Semba, Tarraxinha, Kuduro, Afro-House with respect for authenticity; with this organization he is artistic director of the Kizomba section in the last Congresses of Timbatumba Events, a group that involves salsa world, fitness and now also the Afro-Angolan disciplines.
FELISBERTO DANIEL
GIL AFROMAN
In the Italian economic capital of Milan, Gil Afroman has conquested everybody with his unmistakable laughter and his energy with which he performs steps of Afro-House and Kuduro.
Gil was born in Mozambique, where he has been immersed in dance professionally since his adolescence. In 1997 he founded the music band and dance company MOZMCIRCO. In 2003 he approached Italy as an artist for tour and shows, while in his homeland he became an instructor and choreographer of traditional African dances. He took part in African Kizomba and dance competitions and has established himself as an international Kizomba instructors, becoming a great support for Italian teachers who want to receive professional training in Angolan disciplines, relying on a complete training ranging from culture to musicality and posture techniques.
RITA CONTE
A figure to admire for the path she has made in just 33 years. Excellent coach and motivator, she always sets goals for her students and leads to tangible results with great commitment on her part to accompany them and make them ready and competent in this discipline. She grew up in a family of artists and studied acting until she approached pole-dance in 2011 and decided to devote herself entirely to that: one year later she opened her first school in Florence and in 2016 she has been called as the protagonist of the video of one of the songs most influent of the year (Clean Bandit – Rockabye ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie). Competing with the best athletes in the world, she is international Pole Sport Judge, Pole Sport 2015 silver medal in the “Elite” category and Italian champion Pole sport IPSF 2018 and 2019.
Perfectionist of the technique, during the period of quarantine she showed herself able to remain close to the students and she has been distinguished by her great ability to reinvent herself, always keeping up the role of instructor and the value of sport.
DJ LUPO
Francesco Lupacchino, aka Lupo dj, was born in a small town in southern Italy. He has been passionate about music from an early age and at 9 years old he began to study piano which he carried on for 6 years.
He continued to cultivate his passion for every musical genre: heavy metal, Celtic, classic, Italian songwriters and folk music. All these genres drove him to the desire of discovering other cultures and other music instruments, so that he began to study different percussions typical of southern Italy. In 2014 he discovered the Cuban Salsa and bachata, beginning a dance path that he still continues: he became passionate about Caribbean music culture and he started his research in music listening, crossing the world of Puerto Rican salsa which led him to Kizomba. he remained fascinated and In 2016 he began for fun to collaborate with his dance school: from that he started his career as a DJ specialized in kizomba, a passion that he carries on with love and enthusiasm. he always care of searching for the newest and undisclosed music, so that his listeners are always happy and thankfull. He has played in the most important clubs of Florence and Tuscany and he has been invited to some of the biggest Italian festivals such as Roma Sensual Symposium, Kizomba Terme in Tuscany and the All in Latin Festival in Siena.
ANNYSTEPS 