Jessica Dieseldorff

Jessica co-founded ‘Salsa Gente’ with Chris inspired by one of their trips to Habana, Cuba in 2011.

She has over 25 years of dance experience. She studied ballet for 16 years, and performed professionally with the Harbor City Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Nashville Ballet in the US.

Jessica started to dance with “Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz” (SRSC) in Santa Cruz, California in 2003, and soon became a team leader and choreographer for over 40 performances. She has enjoyed dancing Rueda de Casino in Miami (Henry Herrera), Russia (Moscow), China (Beijing, Shanghai), Japan (Tokyo), Singapore and many places in Germany.

Her studies include renowned teachers such as Isaias Rojas Ramirez from BanRarra in Habana (Cuba), Luis “Titi” Guzman in Habana (Cuba) and Yanek Revilla and Karelia Despaigne from Santiago de Cuba. She 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 her 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 Francisco and Berkeley/California, and Nick and Serena from Salsa Vale Todo in San Francisco/Berkeley, California.

After her ballet dance career, she became a nurse practitioner in women’s health. Since 1992 she has also been a certified group exercise instructor (AFAA). She has taught step and teaches now spinning at 24 Hour Fitness Club in Santa Cruz, California.

Jessica holds two Master degrees in Humanities from Johns Hopkins University, and a Masters in Nursing from Vanderbilt University.