DIRECTOR – PERFORMER – COMPETITOR – CHOREOGRAPHER – TEACHER - JUDGE

(NL-FR-ENG-ESP)

 

Benamar Kevin,

2010: Well aware of his love for teaching (certificated French Boxing teacher since 2006 & Certificated animator (youth recreation coordinator) since 2004) and his passion for salsa, he decided to start his first official salsa classes.

This resulted the beginning of his first dance school “BeSalsa” located in Brussels, Belgium. 

 

2011: In order to continue his training, he moved to Canada for a year where he performed/competed at the biggest venue such as the Quebec Salsa Festival & Canadian Salsa Congress (4th place professional division).

 

2012: He taught & performed at venues like Antwerp Diamond Salsa Congress (Belgium), Limburg Bachata Festival (Netherlands), the Berlin Salsa Congress (Germany) just to name a few.

He also competed at the Montreal bachata festival where he ended 2nd place (Jack and Jill competition).

 

2013: While training in Australia for 1 year, Kevin taught in 2 of the biggest school of Sydney which are Latin Motion Dance Academy (dance school of world salsa champion Oliver Pineda) & Tropical Soul Dance Studio (2013 Australian salsa champion & world bachata champions)

He also joined 2 other dance groups: Labur (director: world salsa champion Vali Damaskou) & Mystique (director: Natalia Rakhimova)

During his training, he particpated as a background dancer in the movie “Thalaivaa” (Tamil romantic comedy film)

 

Kevin Benamar Competed at the  Australian Salsa Open (state titles) & Sydney best social Dancer competition Kevin Benamar finishes:

- 1st place in the salsa open team division. (ASO)

- 2nd place as sydney best social dancer.

- 3rd place in the salsa solo professional division. (ASO)

 

2014: Taught at DanceSport in New York City & also danced for Santo Rico Dance Company under Tomas Guerrero. During this year he participated in projects like “fight against breast cancer” & “Bailando por una causa”.

In that same year he got an Artist Visa for so he would be allowed to stay, live and dance in the USA.

 

2015: Based in New York City Kevin Benamar is teaching most of his private classes at Stepping Out Studios and also danced for Baila Society Dance Company at Peridance Capezio Center for 1 year. His main coaches where Ahtoy WonPat-Borja, Daniel Enskat & Billy Fajardo.
He participated at the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Tradeheld at the United Nations.

The next big step for him this year was to launch his 2nd dance school “BeSalsa New York” followed with the launch of the BeSalsa Socials where he introduced the BeSalsa Battles (group battles between dance schools)

 

2016: A year where once again he made his company grow and reach another level by opening his 3rd dance school located in New Jersey. That same year he decides to go to Yamulee under supervision of Osmar Perones to enter the Yamulee team which he succeeds.

 

2017: To continue his never ending training while still teaching competing & performing internationally he joins Descarga Latina with Nelson Flores as Director (co-organiser of the World Salsa Summit). That same year he started to become interested in Judging competitions and guiding competitive dancers to do better.

This would be the last year of living in New York City teaching, competing & performing internationally.

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2018: After 4 years of a super exciting life in New York, Kevin decides he needs a different life style. He closes his 2 schools over there and moves to Barcelona, Spain. Getting noticed pretty quickly, he joins Dancescape. A school offering a variety of dance classes where he also start training in hip hop a bit more seriously and where he meets  Carles Escola, his Pachuco Brother (from their show "Hey Pachuco"). He also meets during a Reggaeton video shoot his new partner Monica Serna. They will train and perform a Contempory Zouk fusion piece. 

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2019: Now with 2 shows ready to be shown, it makes it easy to travel and perform across Europe. Being back to Europe makes it easier for Kevin Benamar to go back and forth to Brussels, Belgium (the BeSalsa school which he was running all those years from far away). Which allows him to create his dance company "Grupo BeSalsa". 

He also judged several competition in Spain of the FEBD - Federación Española de Baile Deportivo

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2020: Started with a new beginning by moving to a new place: Geneva, Switzerland.

but for most people it was known as Covid year. It was a big hit for the dance scene. We lost a lot of loved ones and for some even a change of career. During that year and like any other teacher, Kevin had to stop 90% of his classes for safety reasons. The only classes he was still teaching where his online classes which he was running since 2013. To continue his training he joined the online platform Steezy (Hip Hop, Street dance, House,...)

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2021: Kevin Benamar started that year a new school in Geneva. Covid was still on and off and forced schools to limit the amount of classes and events. Most dance schools lost 70% of their students and this was the case as well for Kevin Benamar. The exciting part was for Kevin Benamar to take the judge certification course of the World Salsa Summit known today as The Summit. This is one of the most famous dance competition (all Afro-Caribbean styles) held in Miami where all world champions go to compete.

As a result of this, he was able to be one of the judges at the Italian Salsa Summit (European competition for Salsa, Bachata, Cha cha cha, Merengue dancers) where he judged close to a thousand dancers.

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2022: The BeSalsa Congress finally happened (planned in 2020 but Covid happened) It was a great success gathering thousands of Salsa & Bachata dancers. Kevin Benamar also launches his 2nd dance company in Geneva. He judged for the UBOF Bachata competition (Spain) and keeps teaching at Festivals (Holland, Belgium, France, Spain & Switzerland)

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Kevin Benamar was mainly trained (minimum 6 months) by:

 

·    David Gonzales (Belgium – Cuban salsa)

·    Agnes Van Lysebeth (Belgium – Cuban Salsa)

·    Ary Jean Batiste (Belgium – linear on1 Salsa)

·    Nanda Castillo (Belgium - Traditional Bachata)

·    Walter Rivera (Canada – Linear on1 Salsa)

·    Marie-Claude Regnier (Belgium – Ballet)

·    Kevin Verelst (Belgium – Kizomba)

·    Oliver Pineda & Vali Damaskou (Australia – linear on1 & on 2 competitive salsa)

·    Josie Coté (Australia – linear on1 competitive salsa)

·    Adrian Medina (Australia – Afro Cuban rumba: Yambu, Guaguanco, Columbia)

·    Santo Rico (New York – linear on2 salsa)

·    Sekou Mc Miller (New York – Latin Jazz)

·    Noibis Licea(New York – Afro Cuban Modern: Orishas & zepol)

·    Ahtoy WonPat-Borja & Daniel Enskat (New York – Acrobatics & linear on2 salsa)

·    Albert Hernandez Lledo – Sevillanas 

·    Peter Schabel (New York – Ballet)

·    Osmar Perones Yamulee (New York – linear on2 salsa)

·    Nelson Flores (New York – linear on2 salsa)

·    Billy Fajardo (New York – Acrobatics & Judging)

·    Xavi Blanco (Barclona – Hip Hop)

·    Monica Serna (Barcelona – Brazilian Zouk)

·    Carles Escola (Barcelona – Sensual Bachata)

·    Karin Dance Area (Geneva – Ballet)

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