Meet our team
of Staff & instructors
roberto figueroa
As Artistic Director of Rumba y Timbal Dance Company, Roberto has the opportunity and great pleasure of sharing his culture and love of dance with the communities of the greater Boston area.
abniel izquierdo
Abniel "Ab" Izquierdo grew up listening to salsa music in his native Puerto Rico. In 2007, he began periodically dabbling in salsa classes at various studios, but nothing stuck. In 2021 he took his first class RyT and never looked back. He has since performed multiple times with the company and is thrilled to take on the new role of teacher. "Teaching has brought a newfound enjoyment. Connecting with new students and being part of their beginning dance journey is incredibly rewarding."
alexis coto
Alexis embarked on his dance journey in 2008 in his native country, Venezuela. His love for dance led him to be a core member of one of Caracas's premier dance teams for over six years, clinching 1st place in numerous competitions. He began dancing and performing at Rumba Y Timbal Dance Company in 2023. He is driven by his passion for Latin dance and a desire to motivate others to discover and express their unique selves through various forms of artistic expression.
deysi melgar
Deysi Melgar native of Texoco, Mexico grew up in Massachusetts. Attended Boston Arts Academy as a theater major. Deysi Started salsa dancing as part of an after school program at Boston Arts Academy. She performed under Rumba Y Timbal Dance Company from 2005-2009. Deysi is happy to be back as part of Rumba Y Timbal training staff, a place she considers home!
Duru Urgulu
Duru, from a young age, grew up immersed in the world of dance, exploring a wide range of styles that shaped her dynamic and versatile foundation. Her journey took an exciting turn after attending her first social dance, where she fell in love with the rhythm and connection of bachata and salsa. Passionate about sharing her love for dance, she now dedicates herself to teaching—empowering students not only with technical knowledge but with the confidence to express themselves freely.
isle bastille
Isle was born in Mexico and grew up on Cape Cod. She began Latin dancing as an activity to share with her mother. Her enthusiasm for teaching stems from the joy she feels helping students gain confidence in themselves and in their dance skills. As an instructor, she highly values teaching proper technique and emphasizing the opportunity for creative expression in these rich Latin dances.
John cowan
Jonathan started dancing at Rumba y Timbal in 2019 after his interest in Latin dance was ignited during a trip to Puerto Rico. Since then, he’s trained extensively in salsa and bachata and performed on multiple teams. His true love is bachata sensual and his teaching focuses on clean, safe technique, building connection, and helping students develop their own movement quality.
Johnny steichen
Johnny was raised in Charleston, South Carolina, where he grew up dancing a style of swing-dance called “shag.” After moving to Boston, he developed a deep appreciation for Latin dance, both as an artform and as an avenue for building community. A teacher by vocation, he feels most himself when sharing what he has learned with others, whether that be in the classroom or in the dance studio. In his teaching, he values clear communication and mastering the basics, as they serve as the indispensable foundation for the creative conversation that social dance can become at higher levels.
julie mabille
"The day I took my first salsa class at the studio, I had no idea it was gonna be one of the best things that happened to me. The studio and its people soon became my family here in Boston. This place has so much to offer! So after 2 years as a student, I decided that I wanted to be more involved in this special place."
madison plummer
Since 2014 Madison has dedicated her life to training all forms of movement and sharing her love of partner work. Madison performs and teaches professionally in a myriad of disciplines: social dance, contemporary, ballroom, and circus acrobatics. She loves movement and dance but more importantly she loves connecting with others through the art form. Madison also specializes in dance film and has spent much of her career producing feature-length dance films. After dancing and filming in San Francisco for many years, Madison is happy to be back in the Boston area and pleased to join the team at Rumba y Timbal.
vivi martinez
Vivi took her first salsa class at age 12 at Rumba Casino studio in her native Venezuela. For 6 years she took classes, performed, and competed throughout the country. Her dance journey continued in Peru, where she taught, and now in Boston as an instructor with Rumba y Timbal. She enjoys continuing to learn from and feel the rhythms of salsa, and loves passing along that passion to her students.
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