Eric Caty—international ballroom champion, co-founder of Calgary’s Salsa Rica Dance Company, and a driving force behind the Canadian salsa and ballroom scenes—passed away peacefully on March 30, 2025, after a sudden battle with bacterial meningitis. He was 49.
Born in Montréal in 1975, Caty began formal ballroom training at age six, studying with some of the world’s top coaches before winning the Open North American Ten-Dance Championship early in his career. In 2000 he relocated to Calgary, where the vibrant Latin-club scene ignited his passion for salsa and would shape the rest of his life.
Together with longtime creative partner Kelly Lannan, Caty co-founded Salsa Rica Dance Company and Alberta Dancesport, coaching generations of dancers and choreographing for So You Think You Can Dance Canada and the touring production of Dancing with the Stars. The pair also reached numerous world-championship finals and served as adjudicators at major events such as the Global Salsa Championships and the World Salsa Summit.
Caty’s influence extended far beyond the studio. He co-produced the Calgary International Salsa Congress—one of North America’s premier Latin-dance gatherings—as well as the Edmonton Gala, the Ultimate Latin Dance Championship in Las Vegas, and the Montréal Salsa Fest, providing a stage for thousands of artists across three countries.
Known for his blunt—but caring—coaching style, Caty balanced exacting technical standards with an infectious sense of fun. Former students recall his booming greeting, “Hello, people!” followed by a wink and a reminder to “be kind”—a motto he wore proudly on his rehearsal shirts. Even dancers who drifted from competition say he never stopped texting encouragement or offering a last-minute private lesson.
He is survived by his fiancée Megan Roche; creative and business partner Kelly Lannan; his mother, Josette; best friend Martin Lefebvre; and the expansive global dance family he nurtured. A public Celebration of Life was held April 9, 2025, at Calgary’s Hyatt Regency Imperial Ballroom, with livestreams enabling mourners worldwide to share memories.
In the words of a longtime student, “Eric built something that will never fade—a community that will dance in his honor for years to come.”
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