Dando Mambo Dance Company

An explosive dance company located in Madison, Dando Mambo Dance Company (DMDC) has performed near and far, hitting the road for Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, Houston, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, and San Francisco, just to name a few. In 2008, the Company has its sights set on international travel to countries such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the U.K., and China!

From a modest beginning in a damp basement on the East side of Madison and endless travel for training in Chicago with the world-reknown company Descarga Caribe, Dando Mambo Dance Company, directed by Mexican-born Edgar Molina, has come quite a long way! DMDC now runs classes and holds its rehearsals at Kanopy Dance Studio, located at 341 State Street in Madison, above the Gap.

So Madison, if you want to to Salsa, Mambo, or Cha cha cha, if you want to learn more about Merengue and Bachata or want to learn some new Cumbia moves, if you are planning a special event or are simply in the mood to hear some great Latin music by Pérez Prado, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaría and more, or you want to watch a fun, dynamic dance crowd, look no further! You will feel the heat of the music radiated through the warm smiles and welcoming demeanor of the Dando Mambo Dance Company’s members, and you will definitely catch the rampant Salsa fever that is taking Wisconsin by storm.

Current Class Listings

Big Apple Turns - Ongoing

Sunday 7:30 PM
Big Apple Turns
STYLE: On2 Intermediate
The Cardinal Bar 413 E. Wilson St. Madison

If you have ever seen some of the Salsa greats in action from New York City and wonder how they look so smooth and fluid, then you must take this class! You will learn about adding body-rolls, should styling and more to your turn patters. You will also learn about leading and following multiple spins and showing you partner off so that you both shine on the dance floor! If you want to learn about the roots of Salsa, then look no further!
* This class session begins the first Sunday of the month

For more information, please contact Hallie at info@dandomambo.com or call (608)669-1175

Crazy Turns - starts 1/1/07

Thursday 8 PM
Crazy Turns
STYLE: On1 All levels
The Cardinal Bar 413 E. Wilson St. Madison

If you already know how to dance but are looking for some new moves, then you have found the right class! Come and learn how to take the basics up a few notches! You will learn how to smoothly lead Hand-tosses, Copas, 180 Rotators and dozens of other great Salsa moves! This class is guaranteed to twist you perspective of Salsa and leave you challenged and happy!

For more information, please contact Hallie at info@dandomambo.com or call (608) 669-1175

Latin Move n’ Groove - Ongoing

Thursday 7 PM
Latin Move n’ Groove
All levels
The Cardinal Bar 413 E. Wilson St. Madison

Dance, relax and laugh! This class will definitely get you motivated to move. Come and see why dancing is a phenomenal way to forget the “work” in “workout” and just have fun – you will learn new dance moves and learn how to incorporate freestyle moves into your dance style! Learn about Afro-Cuban movements and dancing on 1, on 2 in this dynamic, all-inclusive class!

For more information, please email Hallie at info@dandomambo.com or call (608) 669-1175

Salsa FUNdamentals - Ongoing

Wednesday 8:30 PM
Salsa FUNdamentals
United Community Center, Milwaukee

In this introductory Salsa class, you will learn the basics of “lead and follow,” how to use the music to stay on beat, and most importantly, you will learn how to execute simple yet stylish basic steps that you can take right to the dance floor! Seasoned dancers and beginners alike will love this class! How can you say no? Join us and see for yourself!! (No partner required)
* This class session begins the first Wednesday of the month

Contact Hallie at info@dandomambo.com or by phone at (608) 669-1175

Salsa FUNdamentals - Ongoing

Monday 6 PM
Salsa FUNdamentals
STYLE: On2 All Levels
Kanopy Dance Studio 341 State St., Madison (above the Gap)

Instructor Bios

Edgar Molina arrived from Oaxaca, Mexico in 2003, after completing his degree in Law. He brought with him a bright smile and a profound love for Latin music and dance. He began dancing at the age of four with his mother. As he grew, so did his interest in dance. He moved to Madison, his dream was to create a dance company that would not only connect people across cultural boundaries, but that would also be recognized as a world-class performance team comprised of talented dance teachers and performers. He began traveling to New York, the salsa mecca of the U.S., and studied under the dance greats of today. Back in Madison, he met Hallie one evening in one of his classes, and they began to talk about their love for salsa dancing and music. They began practicing together, realized that they had totally different styles of dancing salsa, and used that to become the dynamic dance couple that they are today. They have been dedicated to promoting dance and teaching for the last two and a half years as a dance couple. Edgar’s dance background includes ballet, jazz, son, rhumba, guaguanco, salsa, mambo, afro-cuban, cha cha cha, merengue, bachata, modern, tango, and samba. Also an avid musician, Edgar studies the congas and timbales, and brings music to life in his classes, where he plays the rhythms of salsa for his students to dance to. Edgar has been teaching and performing since the age of 14, and his twenty years of dance experience has prepared him well for his debut as Artistic Director and co-founder of Dando Mambo Dance Company. Edgar believes that dance promotes positive self-image, health, and most of all, happiness that lasts a lifetime.

Hallie Savage began dancing from the age of five. She studied ballet, jazz, tap and baton until the age of twelve, when her company director forced her to decide between a dance practice or a piano recital. Hallie didn’t want to miss her piano duet with her cousin, so she quit dancing and never looked back…until she discovered salsa! One night of dancing in La Pachanga, a salsa club in the heart of Paris,France, was all it took to change her life forever. She danced every night of her two month stay there, and realized that the rhythm and feeling of the dance and music were now so engrained in her that she could not possibly stop dancing! Listening to music while walking to the Parisian subway, she could not make her feet walk to any other beat than “1,2,3, (pause), 5,6,7 (pause)” and her roommate was tired of having to share the full-length mirror with her as she tried to figure out new steps from the night before. When she returned home to her native Wisconsin, she was supposed to be there for a short stay and then return to her Master’s program in Latin American Literature and Linguistics in San Diego, California. However, once more salsa changed her life as she walked into Edgar’s. Together, they have traveled across the United States to study salsa, train and perform with the best dancers in the world. Hallie studies salsa, mambo, modern, ballet, flamenco, and tango, and is co-founder of Dando Mambo Dance Company. She believes that everyone has a dancer hidden inside of them, and that the rhythm of salsa can change what dancing means to who we are: dancing makes a difference, and it is a concept that breaks all cultural boundaries. And, she still plays the piano with her cousins!