Maria Palmieri is the Director of Salsatropical Ltd Company.
She is a native of Latin America.
She trained as a professional dancer in Brazil, at Alvin Ailey's School in New York, and at London Contemporary Dance, and has an MA in Choreography from the Laban Centre London.
She started studying ballet in a dance studio in a professional dance school where she performed shows since 9 years old. At 10 years old she had piano lessons, leaning how to read music, which was one of her passions. Acting classes was also part of her training at 12 years old.
Has graduated and has a B. A. in dance from PUC University in Brazil. and graduated in One Year Special Course at The London Contemporary Dance School, The Place from where she gained a scholarship for Alvin Ailey Dance School in New York City.
Culminating in a MA in Movement Dance Studies from Laban Centre, London. Her ballet training was very extensive with emphasis in technique and expression. It taught her discipline and control, but through Jazz she gained sharpness, style and slick qualities. Contemporary dance was her main focus for a while expanding her knowledge in dance through various styles: Martha Graham, Limon, Cunningham, Release, and from there Contact improvisation and Choreography.
She has been teaching dance since 1994, including 3 years teaching at BTEC- Performing Arts, Croydon College, at The City Lit and several other Adult Education in Brazil, New York and London.
She has studied Cuban Salsa with professional teachers from Teatro Nacional de Havana. She learned Son Cubano, Rumba, Afro dance and the african influence in Salsa where she experienced its roots. And started to teach Salsa at Bishopsgate Institute in 1999.
Then she has since dedicated her time to train in different styles of Salsa: La Rueda de Casino, L A, New York and Puerto Rican/Mambo ; participating in several International Salsa Congresses: LA, Uk ,New York, Paris, Rome and Zurich.
Then was very inspired and taught by world famous teachers and developed her dancing and teaching skills.
She traveled Internationally to spend time observing this Master's teachers describing/teaching movements and dance with great precision and well experienced methods and found them highly inspiring.
"Teaching is a very separate skill to performing specially dealing with a different culture then mine own.
The most important element in teaching is communicating it well, in which I learned from my professional training as a Dance teacher and NLP. Now I apply this Knowledge to Salsa and Latin American Dance.
As a trained dancer learning the woman steps was very easy and therefore I started to learn the man steps so then I was able to lead and give feedback to my male students how it feels from the follower's point of view. "
Dancing for me is about feeling. Feeling my partner, feeling the music, being present and having Fun!
"I experienced dancers and teachers being only concerned with technique as the only way to dance and also creating many and many theories about music interpretation.
"For me music interpretation and dance is about feeling. Technique should be a vehicle to express your feelings."
Maria Palmieri
"It just happened to me to be offered more and more teaching with Salsa while I was still working in a Performing Arts School and gradually I decided I want to Master all styles.
In London, where she lived since 1991, except from 1994-1997 where she lived in New York. Then she was offered the opportunity to run her own classes in the City and consequently in other places.
She has been teaching Salsa since 1999 at Bishopsgate Institute and also several other locations as a guest or running and promoting her own Club, classes, Corporate Events, Weddings, Private lessons...
She teaches Cuban Salsa, L.A., La Rueda de Cassino, Son Cubano, Mambo, Cha cha, Merengue, New York style, Bachata and Samba.
Besides teaching group lessons, for many years, she has also taught several private lessons: having taught and performed extensively for corporate clients such as HSBC, UBS Warburg, Theodore Goddard's etc.
She has taught internationally in London, Greece, Switzerland, and Australia. In 2002 she was invited to teach Ladies Style in Switzerland-Basel and Lucerne and also in London. She put emphasis on details and precision with enthusiasm, encouragement, motivation and focus on style.She brings her strong dance foundation to her specialisation in salsa; and draws upon her experience of teaching and performing internationally.
Her approach to Salsa emphasises self-expression, style, connection with your partner through music, and a flowing style. She really pays attention to technique; but her aim as a teacher, or choreographer either for a show, a wedding or providing a salsa event for a company; is to foster the connection between people through dance.
Maria says:
"It's a pleasure to choreograph for a couple and emphasize an emotional connection that already exists; and in a Corporate Event it's remarkable to see participants connect easily with each other in a new way, just by learning steps!"
"Salsa is meaningless when it becomes a sequence of moves to lead and follow.
The social aspect only flourishes when the dancers, leader and follower, respect each other evenly. Sometimes, leaders tend to DISCONNECT to their partner, focusing only on their lead and completely neglect the followers.
Leaders need to Practice and Practice and Practice!!!!!!"
"The best joy of Salsa for me, Maria Palmieri, is to be able to be playfully, sensual, expressive and connect = partnership, being totally present with my partner + the music!"
Maria teaches with these principles in mind and it becomes fun and human!
Performance has been part of her life since she was 9 years old and continuously through her life.
She performed Rueda de Casino and partner dance shows for different events in London and also in Switzerland. She performed at numerous Venues in London such as The Rocket, Bar Latino.
She was been requested to choreograph and perform for Corporate Events including a salsa celebration for Theodore Goddard’s Law firm.
Choreography.
In the past years choreography has been her main focus in dance.
She has studied Choreography and Visual Design for her Master in Dance at the Laban Centre. Her final dissertation was a film. The creative field of dance and film has been her present inspiration in which she aspires to integrate.
Maria has worked as a choreographer, designer and stylist for The Whole Hog Company (www.piggy.co.uk) on their
“Salsa the ultimate collection of salsa music” CD (Universal 0044006818825).
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