Meet Our Instructors

The Pasión Project Dance Instructors offer a wide range of experience and specialization in Latin Dance.

Master Braz Dos Santos

The Pasion Studio faculty is headed by highly acclaimed dancer, performer and dance instructor Master Braz Dos Santos, who is the most celebrated dancer in the world in his field of Brazilian dance. For more than 20 years he has been teaching and performing all over the world. He was the star of a major international dance show ‘Brazouka’ that traced his incredible life story through Brazilian dance. Since he arrived in Key West several years ago, students have been traveling to Key West from all parts of the USA - and internationally - to attend his 50-Hour Certification Courses for all levels including Instructors. Now he will be extending his expert professorial arm to teach local students as well.

Taylor Tarn

Flexibility / Conditioning 

Contemporary Dance

Taylor has been breathing dance in and out since she was a little girl. Years of exploration and dedication in countless styles has led her to become more in love with the different ways that training can be approached.

She attended a performing arts high school in Virginia Beach, competition studios, summer residential dance programs, University for modern and Latin dance, Master Braz Lambada Instructor course, as well as professional Aerial intensives around the U.S... “the training never ends!”

Throughout her career as a performer & choreographer Taylor has made it a point to share this love of movement with everyone who wants to feel the joy that dance brings. She has taught young dancers at a conservatory program, been a kickboxing instructor, and now teaches, Latin dance, flexibility, and modern dance...“There is no flavor of movement that I find taste-less. Each style offers it’s own unique flavor that can bring forth different greatness in each of us, we only have to try it.” 

She first came to Key West in October 2014 and was impressed by the way the community really embraces people exactly as they are - and was encouraged to stay!  

Her teaching is designed to help each student take control of their mind and body in order to create endless opportunities in dance!

Dr. Michelle Gibson

Exercise & Fitness

Dr. Michelle Gibson, an expert who will teach physiotherapy-based exercise classes. Now a resident of Key West, Dr Michelle will teach specialized classes designed to help mitigate common joint and muscle complaints that many people suffer from - especially due to confinement and sitting during quarantine, repeat strain from sports and outdoor activities, dance injuries and normal aging effects. Her classes will be both remedial and a preventative measure. We are excited to have her help local and remote students care for their bodies from a fully qualified physiotherapist. 

Brad Meccia

Brazilian Zouk

Lambada

Bachata Sensual

Brad Meccia is the founder and head instructor at Armada Zouk Dance LLC, Knoxville’s longest running Brazilian zouk dance company. He has trained throughout the US and Brazil, and became a Certified Lambada Teacher at the Master Braz ELITE Certificate Course. Outside of dance, Brad received a PhD in biomedical engineering with a focus in biomechanics. This provides unique insights into movement of the body which allow his instruction to really break down the biomechanics of different motions on a joint-by-joint and muscle-by-muscle basis.

Jade

Line Dance & Country Swing

Jade will be teaching Line Dance and Country Swing at Pasion studios, and will be an Assistant Teacher in several other dances including salsa, bachata, kizomba and west coast swing. She started dancing at a young age, beginning her journey at just 4 years old with ballet and tap.  She was classically trained in these dances, but once she graduated, she took up line dancing and country swing.  She was a regular at the world-renowned line dancing bars “Cowboys” and “The Barn” and eventually had the privilege to train under the choreographers Trevor Thorton and Rachel McEnany who each won first place in national choreography competitions. 

In 2015, Jade dove head first into the world of partner dancing - salsa, bachata, kizomba, and west coast swing, as an assistant teacher. In July of 2019, Jade moved from Florida to Tennessee where she met the nationally ranked zouk and lambada dancer Brad Meccia and began her training in Brazilian dances.  With her extensive dance background, she quickly became both an assistant instructor and the interim instructor during Brad’s travels.  Jade has now moved to Key West to share her dance passion and knowledge in a new city.

Amber La Bomba

Lambada

Salsa- NY Style on 2 & Casino/Rueda Style

Bachata

Amber was blessed with a love of dance from a young age. She has been involved in dancing, teaching, and performing in the Latin dance community for 10 + years in Florida and around the US. She is skilled in a variety of dance styles including Salsa, Bachata, and Lambada. Amber is excited to call Key West home and serve the community bringing the joy of Latin dance to the island.

Jeff Mumford

West Coast Swing

Jeff Mumford is an internationally recognized West Coast Swing dance instructor and judge who believes that life is most beautiful when you have the ability to move freely.  Jeff utilizes his skills as a Personal Trainer and Mobility Specialist to help his clients improve mobility, decrease pain, increase strength and unlock their dance!

Jorge Enrique Valero

Salsa, Bachata

Jorge started dancing with a college group at Florida State University in 2012. By 2013 He was participating in multiple dance teams, performing several different styles. Jorge has been instructing LA style salsa (on 1) and NY style salsa (on2) since 2013. He progressed to training in urban/modern bachata and sensual bachata, favoring the fusion of modern/sensual/traditional bachata.

By 2014, he had created his own bachata group and was also part of Agape Dance Company - an Orlando-based professional bachata cabaret team. He placed 2nd with the Ágape Dance Company in the World Latin Dance Cup in 2015, and traveled all over the US teaching and performing with the Company. After moving to south Florida he began to work with the famous Billy Fajardo. He directed his studio’s bachata team and co directed his salsa semi pro and student teams. 

Jorge is well known on the east coast for his precise and fluid lead.

Tybaldt Ulrich

Swing

Carolina Shag

Ballroom

Tybaldt Ulrich teaches conversational social dancing for all skill levels, beginner to competitive professional.
Most known as a champion in West Coast Swing and Hustle, he has performed and taught Zouk, Lambada, Carolina Shag, New York Salsa, Argentine Tango, Ballroom, social Latin, Country Western, Fusion, and Lindy Hop.
Based in NYC, he has been teaching since the mid 90’s, and continues to study and refine his dancing and teach to help you find freedom, ease, and joy in partner dancing.

Irina Issakova

Lambada

Growing up in Russia, Irina heard Kaoma's lambada song every year while vacationing with her family on the Black Sea. In 2009, she watched a video of Braz dancing with Patricia Cruz on YouTube and thought to herself: “Wow! I wish I could dance like that.” In 2017, she started dancing Brazilian Zouk in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2018, she found lambada by attending Braz's class at LA Zouk and was bitten by the lambada bug. She completed the entire Master Braz Certificate Program in Key West, including teacher training. In fall of 2019, she co-founded Lambada by the Bay with her partner and taught students in Oakland. She is very passionate about lambada and is excited to teach students in Key West.