Professional Titles:

2008 House Dance International - 1st Place

2008 Mayan Salsa Competition - 2nd Place

2008 International Hustle & Salsa Competition:

World Hustle Comp - 2nd Place

Triple Threat - 1st Place

ESPN Salsa qualifying comp - 1st Place

"Top Teacher" Raul Santiago

2008 Hooray for Hollywood:

• Hustle Competition - 2nd Place
• Just Hustle - 3rd Place

2007 IHDA Competition Champions

2007 New York Hustle Congress:

• Theater Arts Hustle - 1st Place
• Just Salsa - 1st Place
• Just Hustle - 1st Place
• Triple Threat - 1st Place
• Cabaret - 2nd Place

2007 ESPN World Salsa "On-2" - 5th Place

2007 Discoamerica -1st Place

2007 World Hustle Dance Championship - 2nd

2007 House Dance International - 1st Place

2007 IHSC World Hustle - 2nd Place

2007 Big Easy Dance Classic:

• Theater Arts Hustle - 2nd Place
• Triple Threat - 3rd Place
• "Top Teacher" - Raul Santiago

Biographies

Raul and Sergia started dancing together in 2007, focusing mainly on hustle and salsa, and then expanding their performance and competition repertoire to other dances. They can be seen competing in Theater Arts Hustle, Cabaret, Salsa, Just Hustle, and Triple-Threat Divisions. The combination of Raul's background in salsa and ballroom, and Sergia's background in jazz, ballet, and modern dance has created an exciting and diverse partnership that has given both of them room to grow as they continue to train as a team.

In their first year of professional competition they took home over 10 titles in salsa and hustle, including 5th place in the On-2 division at the 2007 ESPN World Salsa Competition in Orlando, Florida. In 2008 they relocated to Los Angeles from New York, and days later took 2nd Place in the 2008 Mayan World Salsa Competition.

In the Hustle world, Raul and Sergia have placed top 3 in every Hustle Competition since they began competing, including three consecutive 1st places at the 2007 NY Hustle Congress, the House Dance International, and Disco America. This year they were honored to be featured artists in Miami City Ballet's tribute to dance legends Augie and Margo Rodriguez. Raul and Sergia teach out of Josie Neglia's Dance Studio in Los Angeles Raul and Sergia are also guest teachers at Workshops and Congresses around the world.


Raul

Raul brings a lifetime of passion and dedication to dancing. With over 15 years of experience as a performer and instructor, and a long list of awards and titles, he is considered to be one of the top salsa and hustle dancers working today. Born in Jersey City and raised in Washington, D.C., Raul studied music theory at The University of Maryland and received his formal dance training at Arthur Murray. He has performed at dance events around the world, entertaining long-time dance enthusiasts as well as introducing the art form to brand new audiences.

On the competition front, Raul performs with his dance partner, Sergia Anderson, in competitions all over the country, dancing everything from salsa to American-style ballroom to hustle. They have earned 19 professional titles since teaming up in 2007 and plan to continue adding to that list.

Also an accomplished choreographer and teacher, Raul has earned a reputation as one of the top dance instructors in his field, sharing his salsa, hustle, and ballroom expertise with hundreds of students. He blends meticulous, cutting-edge teaching techniques with humor and warmth, as well as draws from his Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage. In 2008, he earned the prestigious Top Teacher Award at the Miami International Hustle and Salsa Competition, an award he also won at the Big Easy Dance Classic in New Orleans in 2007.

Raul's film credits include a featured dance performance in the 2003 hit movie, "Along Came Polly," starring Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller. His television credits include appearances on Telemundo, Univision, PBS, Congreso Bacardi de la Salsa in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SBS National Television in Seoul, South Korea, and Fox Film's Digital Camera Video. Raul teaches at the Josie Neglia Dance Studio in Los Angeles, and is also a guest teacher at dance workshops and congresses around the world.



Sergia

Sergia grew up in California where she started dancing at the age of four. She studied ballet, jazz, and modern at various schools including Redwood Empire Ballet, The Academy of Ballet California, and the Dance Center of Sonoma County. After receiving scholarships from New York City Dance Alliance and Tremaine Dance Conventions she was accepted for study at the Alvin Ailey School in New York City, which she did for a summer when she was 16, focusing most intently on Martha Graham technique and classical ballet. At 17, she started dancing and choreographing for Interweave Dance Company based out of Boulder, Colorado, and continued to be faculty for the next 5 years.

Sergia has a BFA in Drama from Tisch School of the Arts, NYU, where she studied Musical Theatre at Collaborative Arts Project 21, and acting at Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Experimental Theatre Wing. Her New York Theatre credits are far reaching including working with Broadway director Jerry Zaks in City Center Encores! Bye Bye Birdie, and working with up and coming Theatre company the PossEble Theater in Den of Thieves. She has also appeared in numerous national commercials including spots for Verizon and Cascade, and has guest starred in TV shows 3 lbs. and Guiding Light.