Ricardo Tellez is a Mexico City–born salsa dancer, instructor, and choreographer who began dancing at age 12. His early influences included Cumbia, Guaracha, Guaguancó, Guajira, Cha-Cha-Cha, Son Montuno, and Salsa, giving him a strong foundation in Afro-Caribbean and Latin rhythms that continues to shape his musicality and movement.
After relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1992, Ricardo formally studied salsa with Gabriel Romero while developing his skills on social dance floors throughout the region. He began teaching in San Francisco in 1998 and later created his distinctive On5 salsa style, which emphasizes musical phrasing, rhythm awareness, partner connection, and the dance’s Afro-Cuban roots.
In 1999, Ricardo founded RicaSalsa Dance Company, through which he trained and performed with generations of Bay Area dancers. His teaching and performance career has also taken him across the United States and internationally, including appearances in Italy, Germany, Mexico, Jamaica, Colombia, Canada, India, Puerto Rico, and Ecuador.
Ricardo gained further international recognition through his former performance partnership with Tianne Frias. Together, they were two-time World Salsa Championship finalists and placed third in the On1 division at the 2010 World Latin Dance Cup. With decades of experience as a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and innovator, Ricardo continues to share his On5 approach through classes and workshops around the country.
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