Instructors

Christina Trumbach

Christina was born in Belize City, Belize, Central America. Although the Music of the Afro-Caribbean Diaspora was woven into everyday life her first exposure to dance training was short lived as her parents were informed that she was “too much of an energetic child” for ballet. It was not until high school that she found a more suitable creative outlet via one of the carnival bands/groups in Belize City: C-Jamm Mas Band. She participated in Afro-Caribbean Carnival culture, presentations, parades and costume making for the next 8 years until matriculating to Loyola College In Maryland to complete her B.A . In Maryland, Christina discovered the world of Latin Dance. After graduation, she the moved to New Orleans, for graduate school and sought out further Latin Dance instruction via the Latin Motions Dance Company. Upon completing her Masters Degree in Public Administration, she moved to Chicago, where her dance education truly flourished. At the age of 23, she returned to classical and West Indian/Afro-Caribbean training under Alfred Baker and the West Indian Folk Dance Company. And at 26 she discovered Brazilian Dance and has since then come to the conclusion that she must have been a Brazilian in another life!

Since then Christina has been studying under Dill Costa at the Old Town School of Folk Music. She currently teaches basic Samba Technique at Hip Quake Studio and a Samba-based Cardio Class at Solao Fitness, both in Chicago. She currently performs with Tropicalia Dance ( Brazilian Dance) , Folia Brasil Dance Group and with the West Indian Folk Dance Company. These affiliations have afforded performance opportunities such as: The African Festival; The Skokie Festival of Cultures; Viva Chicago Festival; The Old Town’s Brazilian Independence Celebration; University of Chicago’s Viva Brasil Festival; The Festival of Life; North Western University’s Alliaza Latina Festival ; Black Dance U.S.A, and other cultural festivals and events throughout Chicago and the Mid West.

Christina works on a Youth Workforce Investment Act contract at a local alternative high school’s main office. Her responsibilities range from program coordination and performance planning, to case management and proposal writing.

Pierre R. Cameron

Pierre is an innovative Graphic Artist and Photographer as well as a professionally trained Dancer born in 1969 in the Republic of Panama (Central America). In 1989 the decision was made by his mother to relocate to the United States in order to join the rest of her family. Besides his passion for the visual arts Pierre has always been the life of the party because of his very playful personality and sense of humor; but more famous for his skills on the dance floor. During his high school years in Panama he was part of the dance squad, multiple dance groups specializing in Latin beats like merengue and salsa, as well as hip-hop. He was also the choreographer and stage designer for the St. Joseph Youth Choir better known as (El Dinamico Coro de San Jose).

Once in the United States he pursued other dance styles such as modern jazz and samba. In 2008 Pierre was approached by a friend who showed him an article about Zumba in a magazine and thought that it would be a perfect fit. Pierre went onto receive his very first Zumba certification in April 2008 and since then he now holds three Zumba certifications all together and is bringing everything he knows to the floor to multiple locations in the city of Chicago. Pierre joined the Solao Fitness and Dance studio in the fall of 2009 and he has taught every thing from Salsa, Merengue and Bachata dance lessons to Zumba Fitness and Zumba Toning. In addition, Pierre spends part of his free time performing professionally with the Folia Tropicalia Samba Dance group, and continues to perfect his skills by taking Level 3 Samba classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music under the direction of Brazilian Samba dancer extraordinaire Dill Costa.

Avo Randruut

Avo+Bio+photo Avo is a musician whose work includes percussion, keyboards, voice, composition and performing. He received his M.A. in Ethnomusicology from Tufts University in Boston. He has studied and/or performed music of the following traditions: Ghanaian drum and dance music, West African Djembe drumming, Jamaican Reggae, New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian songs, Brazilian Samba Batucada, Afro-Cuban drumming, Jazz, and North Indian classical vocal music. Avo has performed in various places including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and in Taiwan's Earth Day Festival. He was awarded a fellowship grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1996. Avo is involved in teaching children and adults. He was the music director and composer for over seven years with the Whirlwind All-Stars theater company and continues to compose and record original music. Avo has taught, designed curriculum and integrated music and the arts into academic subjects at Reading in Motion for the last ten years.