Yerba Buena Art Community

Not every space is right for every person. And that’s not a flaw, that’s just a natural law.

You’re not in the wrong stage of your development. You’re never in the wrong stage. But you can be in the wrong place for your stage. And when there’s no alignment between the two, growth gets blocked, not because of you, but because of the mismatch.i would not want that for you.

Yerba Buena Circle is a specific space for specific people. I’m not here to convince anyone. I’m here so that the people who are aligned with this have a home to come to.
If you felt seen reading these posts, this is probably your home.

Comment CIRCLE and I’ll show you around. 🌿

Yerba Buena Circle makes real mentorship for Salsa, Mambo & Afro-Cuban dancers accessible.

It’s a space where you show up every week to live classes, bring your questions and actually get them answered, work on your technique AND what goes on in your head when you dance — and do all of that surrounded by people who care about the same things you do and who love to go deep.

I know your name. I know where you’re at in your process. When something shifts for you, I notice. That’s not something you get in a regular class or an online course.

We have so many features and yes, I teach you steps and technique, and we have a huge library of classes orgenised by topic but what I want to say is this: It’s not just a video library that you consume alone. It’s not just a group class where people learn next to each other without connecting.

It’s a real community with a real person in your corner, consistently, week after week. Does that speak to you? If yes,
Enrollment opens in windows — we keep it intentionally small.
Comment CIRCLE and I’ll show you around. 🌿

I was a pretty lost kid. And I felt deeply in my bones how painful it is when nobody believes in you. When nobody actually gives a s**t about you.

When I found dance, it didn’t get better. Our scene is competitive. I noticed quickly that support was conditional — you were worth someone’s time if you were useful to them. If they decided you were talented, they’d give you space. But never really care. And if you weren’t useful? Suddenly you weren’t talented enough either.

I went through all of that. And somehow still made it — built a career, became an international teacher, danced with Eddie Torres and many others.

But through all of it, I was obsessed with one question: how do we create spaces where people can actually access their full potential? Not because their talent is useful to someone. Just because they deserve it.

I couldn’t find those spaces. So I studied everything I could: Psychology, Philosophy, Dance Pedagogy, I even became a professional Coach. And to be honest, for a long time I had no idea how to put it all together without leaving our Salsa community once and for all. Well, I stayed and I figured it out: I created Yerba Buena Circle. This is where it all comes together.

Comment CIRCLE and I’ll show you around. 🌿

Coming soon…

🎥 .schache
🧠 .balzat with the Yerba Buena Art Dancers
🩰 Nele, , Steffi, .balzat

IYKYK. 😭

Which one in the most annoying? 👇

Dance is relationship.

Not a problem to solve. Not something you fix by working harder.

It’s connection 🔗

Connection to your body by listening to what it’s actually saying.
Connection to the music by letting it move through you.
Connection to the people around you by being seen, being held.

When you stop forcing and start building relationship, everything changes. Not just your dance but your life. Because what we really learn when we learn to dance is: we learn to live.

If you’re ready for this and don’t want to do it alone, comment „CIRCLE“ and I’ll tell you what I built for dancers like you. 🌿

If I could go back and tell my doubting dancer self one thing, it would be this:

You’re not lacking talent.
You’re just in Stage 2 and you have no real support!

The awkwardness, the overthinking, the frustration—that’s not a sign you’re failing. That’s the sign you’re actually learning. The problem isn’t the discomfort. It’s thinking you have to do it alone.

Swipe through to see the 4 stages every dancer goes through, and how to make them easier.

Which stage are you in right now?
Tell me in the comments 👇
Save this for when Stage 2 hits you hard

Not every teacher is the same.

Some teach the room. Some teach YOU.

The difference?
They actually care about your process, and all that comes with it: they joy, the excitement, the frustration and the celebration

These are the signs I look for.
And the standard I hold myself to.

If you’ve had a teacher like this, tag them 👇
They deserve to know it mattered.

🫀Heart of Glass🫀
Afro-Cuban Contemporary Choreography Project

A journey into vulnerability and strength.
Where body awareness, artistry, and modern expression meet.

🌿 Move from within and build trust in your instincts and presence.
🎭 Discover your artistry and connect with your inner creator.
⚡ Step into expression and embody confidence through dance.

📅 Starting October 17th
🕢 Every Friday | 19:30–22:30
✅ Includes the Afro-Cuban Body Principles Study Program
✅ All participants get access to our online Academy with Replays, Resources to support your process
📍 Berlin + Online option
🎥 Optional professional video shoot in the end