Team

Madeleine

Dancer, director and teacher (LatinRoos and America Baila Junior)
She began classical ballet lessons at the age of four, which sparked her interest in dance. Since then she has continued to take lessons in jazz, ballet and flamenco.

In 1994, she began dancing in one of the first Peruvian dance projects in Switzerland, followed by participation in various other folklore groups.

After graduating from high school, she attended the Zurich Dance Theater School, a professional training in contemporary stage dance.

However, her passion for Latin American folklore dance soon took her to Peru, where she studied various dance techniques with renowned teachers and worked for years as a dancer in a professional folklore ensemble.

In 2002, she founded the company “América Baila”, and in 2012 she took over the overall management and has since been responsible for the dance lessons and choreographies, as well as directing the company’s dance theater projects.

Tamara

Dancer, director and teacher (LatinRoots and America Baila Mini)
Tamara was born in Switzerland and is half Peruvian. She gained her first stage experience at the age of 6 in a flamenco group. In her youth, she attended various dance classes such as jazz, hip hop and salsa. At the age of 18, she began to devote herself intensively to the dances of her second home country, Peru.

She also works as a Zumba instructor at numerous well-known dance schools and fitness centers.

She has been a dancer with América Baila since 2010 and has also successfully started choreographing within the latest productions.

Naya

Dancer, choreographer
Naya was born in Venezuela and began dancing at an early age. She trained in Afro-Venezuelan dances, joropo, and Latin styles such as salsa and bachata. She spent part of her childhood and adolescence in Málaga, where she developed a strong foundation in flamenco, a discipline that significantly shaped her stage expression. She later expanded her training to include ballet, jazz, contemporary dance, and rhythmic gymnastics, earning a scholarship to a dance and music school through her performance. She currently lives in Switzerland and is a member of America Baila, where she brings together her background in folkloric and Afro-Latin dance.

Isabel

Dancer, choreographer

Benita

Dancer and choreographer
Benita grew up in Switzerland, she is half Peruvian and half Swiss. She discovered her passion for dance at a very early age, danced in a street dance group and has been teaching ZUMBA and hip hop for children and adults since 2013. She attends a grammar school that specializes in dance, movement, music and stage projects and would like to study dance after her A-levels.

She has been a dancer with América Baila since 2013 and also choreographs, helping to spread Latin American culture.

Patricia

Dancer and choreographer

Angela

Dancer
Angela, born and raised in Colombia, has carried a great passion for dance since childhood. As a teenager, after moving to Switzerland, she explored a variety of dance styles. In the midst of the pandemic in 2020 she found refuge in the America Baila group, where she revived her dream of dancing Latin American folk and commercial dances. Her trajectory in the group has allowed her to fuse her Colombian roots with the cultural diversity of the continent, creating for her a unique and enriching experience in the world of dance.

Janay

Dancer
Janay, born and raised in Switzerland, with Bolivian and Swiss roots. His passion for folklore was born during trips in the Andes. He dances since late 2022 and, as a teenager, he practiced martial arts during 3 years of kung fu and 3 years of Chinese kickboxing. This experience enriched her body expression and spiritual connection. Janay loves to tell stories through words and dances, fusing her love for storytelling and the richness of folklore in every performance.

Luis

Dancer
Luis was born in Peru and began learning the first traditional dances from Peru at kindergarten age. Later, his talent and interest in folklore dances led him to join various groups with whom he performed regularly and also won dance competitions.

Shortly after coming to Switzerland, he started looking for an opportunity to continue his passion for dance and found América Baila in 2014, where he has been dancing with great dedication ever since.

Ximena

Dancer and choreographer
Ximena grew up in Switzerland. She is half Italian, half Peruvian. Since 2016, she has been part of America Baila. Her passion for dance and music started early, exploring various dance styles and instruments. Growing up, Ximena danced Flamenco, Hip Hop, Marinera and Latin American folklore. Always visiting Peru, Ximena fell in love with the Peruvian cajon, deciding to take lessons in Peru at the age of 10. To this day it is her favorite instrument and something that connects her to her roots besides dance.

Melanie

Dancer
Melanie, Peruvian and Swiss. Dancer of America Baila since 2015.
Dancing has always been her passion. She has been moving her hips to music since she could walk. Her career includes hip-hop, marinera and other South American dances. After getting enough experience in several international Marinera competitions and various Latin American dance projects in Switzerland she joined America Baila where she currently dances.

Franco

Dancer

Laurent

Dancer

Cesar

Dancer and choreographer
Born in Mexico, César began his dance training as a child, first with traditional dances from Mexico, later with flamenco, jazz etc.

He then took part in various folkloric and contemporary projects in Mexico.

César now lives in Zurich and has also trained in other dance styles such as breakdance and classical Indian dance in recent years.

He has been with América Baila since 2012, where he also teaches Mexican dances. He also dances for various other projects in Switzerland and abroad.

Noel

Dancer and choreographer
Noel was born in Bolivia, where his passion for dance was evident from an early age and he took part in numerous traditional dance events. After his arrival in Switzerland, he joined a Bolivian dance group with which he worked intensively for 7 years, over time also as artistic director and choreographer. In addition to folkloric dances, he also devoted himself to other styles such as salsa.

With this wealth of experience, he decided to join América Baila in 2015 to expand his knowledge to other Latin American dances and to continue choreographing.

William

Dancer
Born in Peru and raised in Switzerland, William gained his first stage experience while still at school. He finally discovered his love of dancing through salsa. Since then, William has gained a lot of experience in various salsa projects. In search of his roots, William joined América Baila in 2008, where he has since worked on countless shows and productions. He also dances for the ETH Zurich dance club, with whom he has performed for several years, including at the Polyball and the ETH Alumni Ball.

Jessica

Dancer

Nilu

Dancer
Nilu, born in Switzerland and originally from Sri Lanka, has been dancing Bollywood and Tamil folk dances for 12 years. He has danced in several television programs, music videos and shows. He has also taught Bollywood at all levels throughout Switzerland. The curiosity to expand his artistic repertoire led him to participate in Latin American dance projects and since 2023 he also belongs to the team of dancers of America Baila.

Alejandro

Dancer

Catalina

Dancer

Ailin

Dancer
Ailin is originally from Mexico. Her dance training has been extensive since she was a child. Therefore she knows a wide variety of rhythms such as salsa, bachata, merengue, samba, lambada.

She also specializes in Bellydance Fusion.

Her training includes Performances with the handling of fire and fantasy elements.

As a solo dancer, she has performed for a wide variety of private and corporate events.

She was also part of a dance company in Mexico City.

She was a dancer in the show group of a Grand Resort in the Mexican Caribbean. Where she had daily performances in various dance shows and fire shows.

Today she lives in Switzerland and is also part of the dance company America Baila since 2024.

Paul

Dancer
Paul was born and raised in Peru.

His passion for folklore was awakened by the experiences and customs of his village, where he grew up and immersed himself in the fantastic world of dance.

In addition to dancing, he loves nature and beekeeping, which for him is a form of meditation. He enjoys sports such as kayaking, soccer and riding his motorcycle.

For him, dance is a fusion of nature, music and rhythm.

Paul Malitaxi

Dancer

Ariadne

Dancer

Jimena García

Dancer

Santiago

Dancer

Melanie

Dancer
Melanie was born in Bolivia and began her dance training at the age of seven through Bolivian folklore, developing a strong connection to her country’s traditional dances from an early age. After moving to Switzerland, she expanded her artistic training by exploring contemporary dance and jazz. She later joined America Baila, where she continues to grow as a dancer and share Latin American culture through dance.

Esteban

Dancer

Renzo

Dancer