The 2026 Royal Latin Dance Cup brought a full weekend of salsa and bachata competition to Burbank from April 17 to 19, with competition on Friday and Saturday, workshops on Sunday, and late-night social dancing on both Friday and Saturday. The event took place at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport and also streamed live online for viewers following from home.
While the field leaned heavily local and regional, especially with strong representation from Los Angeles teams and dancers, the event also drew competitors from outside California and from multiple countries. The final results covered 65 categories across salsa and bachata, with competitors representing the United States, Mexico, Guinea, Venezuela, Colombia, and Vietnam.
The weekend also blended competition with a strong social and training lineup. Friday and Saturday socials ran late into the night with live music, DJs, and dancing until 5 a.m. Saturday’s gala night featured live music from Orquesta Son Mirón and Orquesta Invasión Latina, while DJs for the weekend included DJ Robby, DJ Jimmy Rumba, and DJ Charlie Antillon. Sunday shifted to workshops, with artists including Carine & Rafael, Alex & Desiree, Jhoana Palhua, Karel Flores, and Alien Ramirez featured in the schedule.
The judging panel included Rafael & Carine, Alien Ramirez, Billy Fajardo, Jhesus Aponte, Alex Morel, Jhoana Palhua, Karel Flores, Martin Gonzalez, Sergio Jasso, and John Narvaez.
Open divisions delivered some of the weekend’s biggest moments
The Open divisions served as the top spotlight categories of the weekend, and several of them produced standout finishes. In Salsa Open Couples, Alex Sierra and Hellen Olivera of Los Angeles salsa took first with an average score of 85.317, edging Leo y Mimi at 85.254 in one of the closest marquee battles of the event. In Salsa Open Solo Men, Milton Martinez posted one of the strongest scores of the weekend with an 88.164 average to take first place.
On the women’s side, Arianna Méndez won Salsa Open Solo Women with an 83.354 average, while Camila Ávila won Bachata Open Solo Women with an 82.408 average. Other major Open winners included Miel Latina By David Princess in Salsa Open Shines Groups with an 84.779 average, Sophia Y Gisell in Bachata Open Duets Women with an 82.063 average, and Mi Esencia LA x #DancersWithCurves in Bachata Open Shines Groups Mixed with an 84.025 average.
Salsa team divisions were especially competitive
The salsa team categories were among the most interesting divisions of the weekend, especially for college and amateur teams. In Salsa College Division Teams, USC Break On 2 took first with a 79.204 average, SBKlub finished second at 78.888, and SJSU Spartan Mambo placed third at 78.767, with only 0.437 points separating 1st and 3rd place.
The Amateur Teams division was also close at the top. JK Dance Company won with a 79.329 average, USC Break on 2: Latin Fusion took second at 79.200, and SJSU Spartan Mambo finished third at 78.588. Those results helped make the team side of the competition one of the most closely contested parts of the weekend.
Youth and junior divisions also stood out
The event also showed strong depth in the youth divisions. In Salsa Junior 13-17 Solo Girls, one of the largest categories of the weekend, Patrica Umbria of Yenyere Art Academy led the field with an 86.554 average in the preliminary round and then returned to win the final with an 85.810 average. Ayelen Velasco, Mahyna Aguilar, Abigail Roman, and Vianka Ramos were also among the standout names in that division and across the broader youth field.
A strong weekend for both competition and social dancing
The Royal Latin Dance Cup 2026 felt like a solid mid-sized competition with a strong Southern California core, some notable out-of-state and international participation, and a full weekend built around both performance and social dancing. Between the close team battles, the high-level Open divisions, the late-night socials, and the livestream coverage, the event delivered a packed weekend for dancers in Burbank and for viewers watching online.
Royal Latin Dance Cup 2026 Results
Below are the results by category from Royal Latin Dance Cup 2026.
Bachata Results
101. Bachata – Amateur Couples Inter/Adv
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hector and Nathalie Sofia | US | 78.395 |
| 2 | Belen Coronado y Daniel Rodriguez | US | 78.12 |
102. Bachata – Amateur Duets Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eléve Dance Company | US | 80.32 |
| 2 | Sophia Gisell | US | 80.03 |
| 3 | Elsa y Sayo | US | 77.98 |
103. Bachata – Amateur Couples Intermediate
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathalie Sofia y Hector | US | 79.07 |
| 2 | Belen Coronado y Daniel Rodriguez | US | 78.58 |
| 3 | Ciro & Therese | US | 74.08 |
104. Bachata – Amateur Solo All Gender
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fait Accompli | GN | 77.42 |
| 2 | Karla Julia | US | 77.1 |
105. Bachata – Amateur Solo Men
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Casanova | US | 77.48 |
106. Bachata – Amateur Solo Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melina Reynoso | US | 79 |
| 2 | Fait Accompli | GN | 77.62 |
| 3 | Alahna Alton | US | 77.07 |
107. Bachata – Amateur Solo Beginner Women (0-1 Years of Competition)
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayelen Velasco | US | 82.05 |
| 2 | Vyena Larios | MX | 79.17 |
| 3 | Zaret Galves | MX | 78.87 |
108. Bachata – Amateur Solo Inter/Adv Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CAMILA ÁVILA | MX | 82.65 |
| 2 | KAYLEE ESTRADA | US | 80.525 |
| 3 | Fait Accompli | GN | 78.875 |
109. Bachata – Amateur Solo Advance Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ceci Obispo | US | 79.538 |
| 2 | Fait Accompli | GN | 77.856 |
| 3 | Jocelyn Agredano | US | 77.1 |
110. Bachata – Open Solo All Gender
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karla Julia | US | 78.95 |
| 2 | Fait Accompli | GN | 78.795 |
| 3 | Val Aceves | US | 78 |
111. Bachata – Open Solo Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camila Ávila – congas chic | MX | 82.408 |
| 2 | Ceci Obispo | US | 80.225 |
| 3 | KAYLEE ESTRADA | US | 79.858 |
112. Bachata – Open Solo Men
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miguel Zagal | US | 82.986 |
113. Bachata – Over 40 Couples
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciro y Therese | US | 74.964 |
114. Bachata – Amateur Teams
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JK Dance Company | US | 78.1 |
115. Bachata – Pro-Am Couples Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zweli y Ruby | US | 80.354 |
116. Bachata – Amateur Teams Beginner
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JK Dance Company | US | 78.293 |
117. Bachata – Semi-Pro Solo Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viviana Retana / solo / Paso de Oro | US | 80.9 |
| 2 | Fait Accompli | GN | 78.946 |
118. Bachata – Pro-Am Duets Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cassandra y Abilene | US | 79.982 |
132. Bachata – Amateur Solo Intermediate Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karla Julia Ramos | US | 79.139 |
| 2 | Ruby Melendez | US | 77.193 |
133. Bachata – Amateur Solo Advance Men
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Casanova | US | 77.454 |
134. Bachata – Over 40 Couples Pro-Am
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pavlina y Javier | US | 78.675 |
201. Bachata – Open Couples
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miguel Y Natalie | US | 80.825 |
203. Bachata – Open Duets Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sophia Y Gisell | US | 82.063 |
| 2 | Elsa y Sayo | US | 79.383 |
| 3 | Fiona and Doris | US | 78.725 |
204. Bachata – Junior 13-17 Solo Girls
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayelen Velasco | US | 82.783 |
| 2 | Abigail Roman | US | 82 |
| 3 | Mahyna aguilar | MX | 81 |
205. Bachata – Pro-Am Shines Groups Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mi Esencia LA x DancersWithCurves | US | 84.575 |
| 2 | Femme Of Motion On 2 | US | 82.504 |
| 3 | Inessence golden muses | US | 82.429 |
206. Bachata – Kids 8-12 Solo Girls
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayelen Velasco | US | 82.858 |
| 2 | Abigail Roman | US | 81.8 |
| 3 | ZARETH GÁLVEZ | MX | 80.208 |
207. Bachata – Bachata Open Teams
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PROJECT BAILA | US | 81.575 |
208. Bachata – Open Shines Groups Mixed
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mi Esencia LA x #DancersWithCurves | US | 84.025 |
| 2 | Inessence Golden Muses | US | 82.367 |
| 3 | A J ELLAS | US | 81.446 |
209. Bachata – Pro-Am Teams
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A J VALORÉ | US | 82.704 |
| 2 | Project Baila | US | 82.133 |
| 3 | DESAFIO DANCE COMPANY | US | 79.496 |
210. Bachata – Junior 13-17 Shines Groups Mixed
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A J Juniors | US | 81.383 |
212. Bachata – Semi-Pro Shines Groups Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mi Esencia LA x DancersWithCurves | US | 83.408 |
| 2 | Femme Of Motion On 2 | US | 82.438 |
| 3 | Con Todo | US | 79.621 |
231. Bachata – Amateur Shines Groups Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mi Esencia LA x DancersWithCurves | US | 84.35 |
| 2 | A J ELLAS | US | 82.48 |
| 3 | Elevé Dance Company | US | 81.64 |
232. Bachata – Pro Solo Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cassandra Villaseñor | US | 82.256 |
Salsa Results
119. Salsa – Amateur Couples Intermediate
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valery and Damian | US | 80.711 |
| 2 | Juan Vázquez y Jessica Camarena | US | 77.818 |
120. Salsa – Pro-Am Female
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jarek and Luz | US | 82.588 |
| 2 | EMILY MAZARIEGOS Y MIKE DUCRE | US | 80.421 |
| 3 | Javier and Ivy JK Dance Company | US | 80.196 |
121. Salsa – Pro-Am Male
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ricardo and Hellen | US | 80.686 |
| 2 | Alex and Lisa Miel Latina Utah | US | 80.254 |
| 3 | Pro-Am Katya Darryl JK Dance Company | US | 78.529 |
122. Salsa – Amateur Duets Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARIANNA Y CAMILA | MX | 83.414 |
| 2 | VIANETH Y VIANKA RAMOS | US | 82.668 |
| 3 | Amy and Melina | US | 81.682 |
123. Salsa – Amateur Solo Men
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Damian orduna | US | 81.186 |
| 2 | Juan Vazquez | US | 79.55 |
124. Salsa – Amateur Solo Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kendall Heart | US | 80.618 |
| 2 | Elsa Carranza | US | 78.871 |
| 3 | Arasha Alcaraz Aviles | US | 78.811 |
125. Salsa – Amateur Solo Beginner Women (0-1 Years of Competition)
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayelen Velasco | US | 81.607 |
| 2 | Isabela Sandoval | MX | 80.561 |
| 3 | Mariana Tirado | MX | 79.932 |
126. Salsa – Amateur Solo Intermediate Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIANKA RAMOS | US | 81.232 |
| 2 | Kendall Heart | US | 80.961 |
| 3 | KAYLEE ESTRADA | US | 79.989 |
127. Salsa – Amateur Solo Advance Men
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JUSTIN BARRAGAN | US | 83.171 |
| 2 | Damian orduna | US | 81.546 |
128. Salsa – Amateur Solo Beginner Women (0-1 Years of Competition) – Final
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayelen Velasco | US | 82.493 |
| 2 | Isabela Sandoval | MX | 81.643 |
| 3 | Mariana Tirado | MX | 81.121 |
129. Salsa – Amateur Solo Advance Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARIANNA MÉNDEZ | MX | 83.15 |
| 2 | NAHEMELY BARRAGAN | US | 80.804 |
| 3 | EMILY MAZARIEGOS | US | 79.521 |
130. Salsa – Amateur Couples
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valery and Damian | US | 80.379 |
211. Salsa – Semi-Pro Couples
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIANETH RAMOS Y MIKE DUCRE | US | 79.779 |
| 2 | Michael Gonzalez and Nicole Arevalo | US | 79.696 |
214. Salsa – Open Duets Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIANETH Y VIANKA RAMOS | US | 82.667 |
| 2 | Camila Ávila y Arianna Méndez | MX | 81.9 |
| 3 | BRIANNA GARCIA Y NICHOLE RUIZ | US | 80.392 |
215. Salsa – Amateur Shines Groups Men
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Euphoria Men | US | 78.158 |
216. Salsa – Amateur Shines Groups Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CONGAS CHIC | MX | 81.867 |
| 2 | ME Sabor Junior Ladies | US | 81.5 |
| 3 | Elevé Dance Company | US | 78.875 |
217. Salsa – Open Shines Groups
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miel Latina By David Princess | US | 84.779 |
| 2 | Emotion Dance Company | US | 83.071 |
| 3 | Movement Dance Project | US | 81.236 |
218. Salsa – Pro-Am Shines Groups Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miel Latina By David Princess | US | 83.6 |
| 2 | EMOTION DANCE COMPANY | US | 82.707 |
| 3 | ME Sabor Ladies Team | US | 80.968 |
219. Salsa – Student Shines Groups Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CONGAS CHIC | MX | 83.561 |
| 2 | ME Sabor Junior Ladies | US | 81.793 |
| 3 | Movement Ladies | US | 79.307 |
220. Salsa – Junior 13-17 Solo Boys
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Godoy | US | 78.789 |
| 2 | Adrian "Bombon" Barron | US | 77.636 |
221. Salsa – Junior 13-17 Solo Girls
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrica Umbria by Yenyere Art Academy | US | 86.554 |
| 2 | Ayelen Velasco | US | 83.057 |
| 3 | Mahyna aguilar | MX | 83.021 |
222. Salsa – Kids 8-12 Solo Girls
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patricia Umbria – Yenyere Art Academy | US | 86.701 |
| 2 | Abigail Roman | US | 83.068 |
| 3 | Ayelen Velasco | US | 81.936 |
224. Salsa – Semi-Pro Solo Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angela Petresku | US | 79.639 |
| 2 | Jamie Hackbarth | US | 79.375 |
225. Salsa – Open Solo Men
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milton Martinez | US | 88.164 |
| 2 | Miguel Zagal | US | 83.989 |
| 3 | Jarek Hernandez | US | 83.175 |
226. Salsa – Open Solo Women
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARIANNA MÉNDEZ | MX | 83.354 |
| 2 | NAHEMELY BARRAGAN | US | 82.464 |
| 3 | VIANKA RAMOS | US | 82.346 |
227. Salsa – Pro-Am Teams
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alliance Dance Academy Pulso On2 | US | 80.764 |
| 2 | Desafio Dance Company | US | 78.953 |
228. Salsa – College Division Teams
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC Break on 2: Latin Fusion | US | 79.204 |
| 2 | SBKlub | US | 78.888 |
| 3 | SJSU Spartan Mambo | US | 78.767 |
229. Salsa – Amateur Teams
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JK Dance Company | US | 79.329 |
| 2 | USC Break on 2: Latin Fusion | US | 79.2 |
| 3 | SJSU Spartan Mambo | US | 78.588 |
233. Salsa – Final – Junior 13 – 17 Solo Girls
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrica Umbria by Yenyere Art Academy | US | 85.81 |
| 2 | Abigail Roman | US | 83.1 |
| 3 | Mahyna aguilar | MX | 82.74 |
234. Salsa – Amateur Teams Beginner
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SOHO LADIES SALSA TEAM | US | 82.45 |
| 2 | JK Dance Company | US | 79.325 |
| 3 | SBKlub | US | 78.035 |
235. Salsa – Junior 13-17 Shines Groups Mixed
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ME Sabor Junior Ladies | US | 83.213 |
| 2 | CONGAS CHIC | MX | 82.95 |
| 3 | SOHO LADIES SALSA TEAM | US | 81.517 |
236. Salsa – Open Couples
| Place | Name | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex y Hellen | US | 85.317 |
| 2 | Leo y mimi | MX | 85.254 |
| 3 | Michael and Nicole | US | 81.113 |
