JEROME JUNIOR JEAN-GILLES  

 

After a knee injury stalled a fast-rising basketball career, Montreal-born Jerome Junior Jean Gilles arrived in Toronto in 1996, looking for a new channel for his compelling love for life and movement.   Latin American dance not only became the source to physically inspire and challenge him but also to rediscover a pleasure in rhythm and music that was a constant from his childhood.  Raised upon the Haitian rhythms of Kompa, the Latin American dances rolled through his body like his native French language from his tongue.  Planting this new creativity and direction into this solid foundation, J.J. was eager to apply his skills to other forms of dance.  He quickly filled his plate with tap, hip-hop, lindy hopping and Afro-Cuban dance. Within four years, he was giving instruction and performances in Latin dance with Soles Dance Studio.  His skills as a dancer has taken him to performances around the world, including Japan, Thailand and the US.  Currently, he is the director of the City Dance Corps and continues to perform independently in tap and lindy-hopping.   In his spare time, J.J. is finishing a major in linguistics.   Dancing with the discipline of a professional athlete and the fluid sensuousness of his native rhythm, J.J. also has an acute understanding of dance as creative expression and communication with the music.  When teaching dance, J.J. aims to have each student discover his or her own relationship with the music, applying and reapplying his fundamental rule in dance: “Listen to the music.” 

 

LEXA PALACIO

 

As a child, Lexa Palacio loved to dance when no one was watching.  As a student of dance from the age of 7, she immersed herself into the constructions of ballet, modern and jazz, preferring choreography to performance.  Her former performing arts school, Cardinal Carter Academy retains her choreography in their annual program.  She directed and designed her own troupe and show for the Ford Centre.   She graduated from Concordia University for Contemporary Dance and Choreography.  In year 2000, she joined Soles Dance Studio and fell in love with Latin American dance.   No longer content to contain herself within construction and design; Lexa stepped out of the choreography and into the spotlight – to find pleasure in dance whether anybody was watching or not.   In salsa, she found the balances of beauty and sexiness, grace and intensity -- the elements to spark her new ambition.   She was admitted to the Soles Dance Company that same year.  She has performed at various Toronto locations including Soles 2001 Christmas Party and Babaluu’s.   For Lexa, dance has never been about the show; the way to enjoy life is the way one should dance; connect with your partner, listen to the music, be in love and be ready.