Andressa Castelhano
Teacher
Andressa Castelhano
Performer, teacher and choreographer, started dancing Latin Dances and Ballroom in 2006. She got specialised in Zouk due to her years as part of Renata Peçanha’s Dance Company in Brazil. Jazz, Classic and Contemporary Ballet, are other dance styles that she studied for long years improving her technique. She has been also evolved in a Dance Company – Prima Facie, where made shows of Jazz and Contemporary Dance.
Andressa taught Zouk and Dança de Salão, including Samba de Gafieira, in different studios in Rio de Janeiro, and also, has worked for Walt Disney World Brazil as a ballet dancer in Disney Parades in different states within Brazil in 2009.
Due to her time working with Márcia Pinheiro (ex-ballet dancer from the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro), she increased and developed her techniques and knowledge in the study of the mechanical principles of living organisms, particularly the movements and structures, such as the application of biomechanics in dance. Also improving in Ballet and Contemporary Ballet.
She has become a highly respected teacher and performer in the Zouk scenery and left Brazil in 2010 spreading the Brazilian dances around the world. Along the years living and teaching abroad, together with Freddy Marinho they created and developed the Fundamentals Course, a teaching methodology with an application more appropriated for beginner dancers that grew without the cultural immersion of the dance and rhythm like the Brazilians do. This methodology has been so successful that they even passed its format forward to other world known professionals that got inspired by it. Freddy & Andressa have also introduced and developed the Rio Style Zouk in Moscow – Russia, for 2 years, 2010 and 2011, where they lived and had their own dance school. In 2012, they introduced and have been developing up to now, the Rio Style Zouk in Helsinki – Finland, where they currently live and opened their new Dance School, the Rio Zouk Style Dance Academy.
Some of the events that he has acted as teacher and performer:
Canada Zouk Congress in Toronto 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 - Canada
Weekend Dance Festival in Lisbon 2024 - Portugal
NZ Brazilian Dance Festival in Christchurch 2017 - New Zealand
I'm Zouk Congress in Miami 2015, 2016, 2018 - USA
Rio Is Here Festival in Los Angeles 2018, 2019 - USA
Summer Sensual Days in Rovinj 2014, 2015, 2016 - Croatia
International Prague Zouk Congress in Prague 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 – Czech Republic
Dutch International Zouk Congress in Breda 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024 - The Netherlands
Int. Rio Zouk Congress - Rio de Janeiro in 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 – Brazil
Helsinki Zouk Festival 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 - Finland
Amsterdam International Zouk Congress 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 - The Netherlands
Fall For Zouk Congress in New York 2015, 2019 - USA
Zouk Workshop in Atlanta 2015 - USA
Casa do Zouk Congress in Gold Coast 2015, 2017 - Australia
Zouk Workshop in Perth 2015 - Australia
Zouk Workshop 2015 - Singapore
Zouk Festival in Ekaterinburg 2015 - Russia
AfroLatin Flow Festival in Helsinki 2013, 2015 - Finland
Warsaw Zouk Festival 2013, 2014, 2015 - Poland
Kizomba & Zouk Fire Festival in Minsk 2014 - Belarus
Winter Zouk Festival in Oslo 2014 - Norway
Oman Salsa & Zouk Festival 2014 - Oman
1st Mega Zouk & Samba Congress in Vienna 2014 - Austria
Zouk workshop in Riga 2014 - Latvia
6th Amsterdam Salsa & Zouk Festival in 2013 - Netherlands
Bachaturo - Zouk, Kizomba, Bachata and Salsa Congress in Warsaw, 2013 - Poland
Zouk do Brasil Workshop in Paris, 2013 - France
1st West Zouk Time Festival - Zouk & West Coast Swing in Brno 2013 - Czech Republic
Workshop Zouk Explosion in Rio de Janeiro, 2012 - Brazil
1st International Zouk – Samba and Kizomba Meeting in Paris 2012 – France
1st Swiss Zouk Festival in Zurich 2012 – Switzerland
International Zouk Congress in Berlin, 2010, 2011, 2012 – Germany
Int. Zouk Festival in Loret Del Mar 2010, 2011, 2012 – Spain
Zouk Workshop in Vienna, 2011 and 2012 – Austria
1st, 2nd and 3rd Brazilian Zouk Festival in Helsinki 2011 – Finland
1st Zouk & Samba Congress in Saint Petersburg 2011 – Russia
2nd Zouk & Samba Congress in Prague 2011 – Czech Republic
ZoukTime Congress in Brno 2011, 2013 – Czech Republic
Zouk & Latin Fiesta Festival 2011 – Dubai UEA
Salsa & Zouk Beach Festival in Scheveningen 2011 – Holland
Zouk Workshop in Amsterdam, 2011 – Holland
Zouk Workshop in Cologne, 2011 – Germany
Workshop Zouk Master in Copenhagen, 2011 – Denmark
Zouk Workshop in Saint Petersburg, 2010 – Russia
Brazilian Carioca Zouk & Samba Congress in Saint Petersburg 2011, 2012 – Russia
Zouk’ n Rio Workshop in 2009, 2013 – Brazil
And many more…
Judged the following Championships:
Prague Zouk Congress - Jack & Jill in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 – Czech Republic
Canada Zouk Congress - Jack & Jill in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 - Canada
5th Int. Rio Zouk Congress - Championship and Jack & Jill in 2016 – Brazil
6th Int. Rio Zouk Congress - Championship and Jack & Jill in 2018 – Brazil
Casa Do Zouk Congress - Jack & Jill in 2015, 2017 - Australia
2nd Brazilian Carioca Zouk & Samba Congress - Zouk Competition in Saint Petersburg 2012 – Russia
Helsinki Fresca Latin Dance Festival - Finland 2012
Zouk & Latin Fiesta Festival - Zouk Competition in 2011 – Dubai UEA
Competed in the following Championships:
XV Dance festival in Nova Iguaçu - Rio De Janeiro (Brazil) in 2008
Champion 1st place – Zouk Performance
Champion 2nd place – Samba de Gafieira Performance
Winner of the special prize as Best One of the category "Popular Dance Group"
IX Dance Festival in Rio das Ostras - Rio De Janeiro (Brazil) in 2008
Champion 2nd place - Tango Performance
Among others…