Cumbia Austin's founder and main instructor is Alvaro Gomez, an award winning dancer/teacher from Cali, Colombia who has over 25 years of experience as a Latin Dancing instructor.

Alvaro is passionate about helping you reach your dancing goals. Whether you're just getting started and want to learn the basics or you're an experienced dancer wanting to fine tune your skills, Alvaro can help. Having completed the numerous courses, Alvaro has the experience to take your dancing to the next level.

Educational Courses & Certifications

• Folkloric Dance at Escuela de Bellas Artes, Cali, Colombia
• Free Style Dance at Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
• Latin Dance at Comite de Corporacion Vallecaucana, (CVC), Cali, Colombia
• Certification in Salsa-Samba from Centro Latino Americano de Baile  “LIDEZ”, Cali, Colombia
• Argentine Tango courses in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Awards and Other Recognition

• Over 25 years experience in teaching Latin dancing
• Numerous T.V. appearances in several cities such as Atlanta, GA, Dayton, OH, and Washington, D.C.
• Winner of multiple Salsa contests both in Colombia and the United States
• First Latin American dancer to perform in the White House
• Performed for the Organization of American States
• Awarded the Austin Community Education “Outstanding Instructor of the Year” 1992
• Former member of the University of Texas Competitive Dance Team
• Former salsa world champion
• Represented Colombia directing Cumbia dancing groups performing in Georgia, Ohio and Washington DC.