Lazaro Lopez is an independent professional dancer, teacher and choreographer.  He graduated with honours from the Cuban National School of Art and Dance, in Havana and started dancing professionally in 1989 with the dance company Raices Profundas. With this company Lazaro performed as a soloist dancer and he went on tour to Mexico and Japan with the show “Noche Tropical” which celebrated 50 years of Cuban traditional music, working alongside famous artists such as conga player Tata Güines, the singer Omara Portuondo, the flautist Richard Egüe (the founder of the Orquesta Aragón), and the excellent Rumba singers Celeste Mendoza and Carlos Embale.  In 1994, he joined the dance company Pinos Nuevos as a soloist dancer and went on tour to various European countries as well as Martinique, Guadeloupe and St. Martin. The show covered the folkloric and traditional dances of Cuba such as the Orishas, Abakuá, Congo, Arará, Rumba, Danzón, Contradanza, Son, Guaracha, Mambo, Cha Cha Chá, Conga (carnival dance) and Casino (Salsa). During this tour, Lazaro won three prices for the best performance and characterisation.  In 1997, Lazaro joined the dance company Compañia Folklorica Cubana J.J where, as the first soloist dancer, he performed in the most renowned theatres of Cuba, like the Garcia Lorca, Carlos Marx, Teatro America, and in important Cuban festivals such as the “Jazz Festival”, “Cubadisco”, “Encuentro de la danza” and “Danza Folklorica”. In 1998, he performed in the musical comedy of “El Burgues Gentil Hombre” of Moliere which had its debut in the Mella Theatre in Havana and then in Paris, in the famous Chaillot Theatre. Following the success of the show, they toured all over France, then Spain and Mexico. Lazaro also regularly taught dance and percussions summer courses in the National School of Art and Dance (ENA), in Havana, and danced in concert for many famous Cuban groups such as Los Van Van, Charanga Habanera, NG La Banda, Bamboleo and Isaac Delgado. In December 2000, Lazaro came to London to perform as a lead dancer in the famous West-End show Lady Salsa, a Cuban dance and music spectacular that interweaved the history of the revolution with the history of Cuban Music and Dance.

Paola Lopez began her dance training of Salsa and Cuban traditional dances in 1996. She has been dancing and teaching with Lazaro for the past 4 years. Paola’s teaching focuses on building confidence in all the basic steps, feeling and counting the rhythm, developing a good technique and style, body movement, leading and following skills and musical interpretation, which is combined with a dedicated and patient approach.   As well as an experienced dancer and teacher, Paola is also responsible for the organisation and running of the weekly salsa classes, workshops and events.  Based in London, Paola and Lazaro have established themselves as leading exponents of Cuban music and dance in the UK, they currently teach for a number of high profile London dance organisations, including Simply Salsa and Afro-Cuban Pati, and have taught and performed in various clubs and events such as La Scala, The Rocket, Bar Rumba, the LatinSplash Festival, Salsa Slam, the Salsa UK International Salsa Congress, the Munich Cuban Salsa Congress and the London Carnaval de Cuba.  In 2004 they won the Tropicana Salsa World Dance Championships for the Rueda de Casino with their group called La Explosion Cubana.