Erika Caliente (Salsa Instructor)

Erika Caliente (Salsa Instructor)

5.0(1 review)

About

Master Instructor Erika Occhipinti (aka “Erika Caliente”) is the founder and owner of Salsa Caliente Dance Studio. She has taught thousands of students since opening the studio in July of 2000. Her salsa and bachata instructional videos on eHow.com and YouTube have collectively received millions of views and given her international recognition. She has taught workshops at salsa congresses all over the US, including New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Atlanta, Miami, and Orlando, and was a judge at the Texas Salsa Classic. She was a regular dancer on the TV show Caliente (Univision) for 4 years, and in 2007, she received the Miami Salsa Congress’s “Alex Award” for her instrumental role in the creation and development of the Tampa salsa scene. In addition to salsa and bachata, her dance background includes extensive training in ballet and jazz.

As an instructor, Erika places a heavy emphasis on technique, rather than just teaching steps and patterns. She masterfully executes and explains both the lead and follow and is equally skilled at teaching and dancing salsa either “on 1” or “on 2.”

For private instruction, Erika has flexible availability throughout the week and teaches out of her home studio in the Citrus Park area. She offers lessons in salsa on 1 and on 2, bachata, merengue, and street-style cha cha for dancers of all levels, from brand new beginners to seasoned pros. She can give you a solid foundation from the ground up, or help you correct bad habits and take your dancing to the next level. Her specialties include lead/follow technique, timing, body movement, turning/spinning technique, shines, styling, and musicality.

I have a passion for Latin music and dancing, and I find teaching incredibly gratifying. Seeing my students improve their dancing and develop confidence gives me great satisfaction.


Highlights

24 years in business
Serves Odessa , FL

Reviews

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Katherine A.

I have been taking group classes and private lessons with the owner Erika for about 3 months now. Im proud to say Ive grown more as a dancer in this short time than in 4 1/2 years with my previous training. Her knowledge and professionalism are unsurpassed in the Tampa area. The technique and body movement she teaches will make you look like a graceful dancer. I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to train with an expert instructor!
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August 06, 2016

Frequently asked questions

If the student has any previous experience, I like to start with a warmup dance to evaluate their knowledge and skill level so I know where to start.  Even with more intermediate dancers, though, I always like to clean up technique on their fundamentals.

Single:
$70 - 1 hour
$100 - 90 minutes
$300 - 5-hour package (must use within 6 months)

Couple:
$90 - 1 hour
$130 - 90 minutes
$400 - 5-hour package (must use within 6 months)

If you have a larger group, contact me for a quote.


Services offered