Chris Dieseldorff

Chris, Christian Gregor Dieseldorff, co-founded “Salsa Gente” in 2011 but began to dance Cuban-style Salsa in 1999. He continously studies with renowned teachers in the US and in Cuba. These teachers include Isaias Rojas Ramirez from BanRarra in Habana (Cuba), Luis “Titi” Guzman in Habana (Cuba) and Yanek Revilla and Karelia Despaigne from Santiago de Cuba. He also studied folklorico with Milagros Ramirez Gonzales at the teatro de la Danza del Caribe in Santiago de Cuba and Daisy Hernandez in Habana (Cuba).

In the US his studies include famed teachers such as Ramon Ramos Alayo of Alayo Dance Company in San Francisco (Afro-Cuban folkloric, popular and modern dance), Royland Lobato in San Franciso and Berkeley/California, Jose Francisco Barroso in Oakland/California, and Nick and Serena from Salsa Vale Todo in San Francisco/Berkeley, California.

Chris loves to travel around the world and experience Cuban-style Salsa from others. Among many places in the US such as Miami (Henry Herrera), he traveled to Russia (Moscow), China (Beijing, Shanghai), Japan (Tokyo), Singapore and many places in Germany.

Because of his family relationship in Central and South America (Guatemala and Peru), he grew up to the tunes of Rumba and Samba. His grandmother was born in Uruguay. He was born and grew up in the south of Germany near the border of Switzerland and the Alps and came to the United States in 1990 working as engineer for a big technology company upstate New York. Since 2002 he works as industry analyst for the computer chip industry at an international trade organization in Silicon Valley, California.

In 2001 he co-founded award-winning ‘Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz’ (SRSC) in Santa Cruz, California which he managed for 10 years with over 95 performances. The awards include 2002 WE Carnival Parade and the 2004 Calabash Award by the Santa Cruz Ethnic Arts Network. In 2005 Community TV aired a special feature about ‘Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz’.

After 10 years Chris founded with Jessica Dieseldorff ‘Salsa Gente’ inspired by one of their trips to Habana, Cuba in 2011. ‘Salsa Gente’ promotes Cuban-style dance and music and offers Cuban style Salsa such as Suelta, Casino partnering and Rueda de Casino but also promotes Cuban dance workshops with Cuban teachers.