Our 2026

Team

Milla von Tauber

CO-FOUNDER & ORGANIZER

Ally Yancey

CO-FOUNDER & ORGANIZER

  • Rachel attempted to rebel from her dancer family by studying Pure Mathematics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. After teaching high school math for 7 years, she went on to get her Master's in School Leadership and Policy Studies, with the goal of opening a non-traditional school. Fast-forward 5 years when she co-founded the Denver School of Social Dance with her partner Devon Near-Hill. Together, they built the hub of partner dance education in Colorado.

    Rachel's first dances were Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Blues, and Salsa. She later became infatuated with Brazilian Zouk, which has held her focus since 2011. As a third-generation social dancer, Rachel started teaching by her mom's side when she was 11 years old and has since facilitated hundreds of classes for over 10,000 students.

    Now, she leads young people and adults through workshops that leave students feeling more self-aware, creative, and collaborative. Rachel believes trauma-informed movement tools are powerful in the transformation of individuals and communities. Her workshops have impacted classrooms, companies, and dance studios across North America.

    You can learn more about her work at RachelLeighDance.com

BRAZILIAN ZOUK INSTRUCTORS

  • Devon Near- Hill is a teaching and performing artist, currently serving as Co-Director/Co-Founder along with Rachel Farley at Denver School of Social Dance. Her diverse movement repertoire spans belly dance, ballet, salsa, modern dance, capoeira, lambada Brazilian zouk, kizomba, urban kiz, Alexander technique, and tango. 

    During her pursuit of a BFA in Acting at USC, Devon discovered her passion for Lambada and Brazilian Zouk, leading her to delve deeply into their intricacies. Her dedication and skill were recognized when she received second place in the 2018 LA Zouk Festival Semipro US Brazilian Zouk Open competition, marking her as the first female lead to achieve such a feat. Devon’s expertise extends to her role as a judge for the Brazilian Zouk Dance Council, where she remains committed to continual growth and exploration. This year she judged the first ever Lambada competition for the Lambada Dance Council.

    Benefiting from mentorship and collaboration with luminaries like Jerry Lai, Gilson Damasco, Braz Dos Santos, and the Renata Peçanha USA team, Devon continues to hone her craft. Having worked in Sexual Assault Prevention Education, Devon has a passion for teaching embodied consent within the context of social dance. She shares her insights and techniques through her Efficient Follow Curriculum, taught both online and internationally, with a vision of cultivating adaptable, embodied, and purposeful movers. Devon eagerly awaits the opportunity to share her passion for movement with you!

ARGENTINE TANGO INSTRUCTORS

  • Rebecca’s Tango journey began in the Pacific Northwest in 1999 while pursuing her BFA at the University of Oregon. Through Eugene’s Tango Center she forged her dedication and 20 years later her feet have not yet stopped dancing!! From 2000 Rebecca has lived and taught Tango within numerous communities in the USA and around the world. After 5 years teaching, organizing, and djing in Berlin, she settled back home in Oregon. Currently she offers regular classes in Portland and travels often to DJ Tango events. As a teacher Rebecca has always believed in the transformative process of learning Tango and is fueled by the metamorphosis of her students. She offers accessible compassionate guidance combined with a deep understanding of both roles, the music, and the ever-evolving culture of Argentine Tango.

  • Yelizaveta is a tango teacher, podcaster, and founder of IMSO Tango, an online school dedicated to supporting social dancers wherever they are. With over two decades of experience teaching movement and body mechanics, she specializes in clarifying and simplifying the complexities of tango so that dancers can thrive on the social dance floor.

    Her approach integrates insights from a range of disciplines, including blues and fusion, ballet, Gyrotonics, and the Franklin Method, alongside her 500-hour yoga certification. By blending these modalities, Yelizaveta helps students discover how tango can be both effortless and sustainable, supporting physical and emotional longevity in the dance.

    In 2024, she became the first woman leader to place in the Jack and Jill competition at the Southern California Tango Championship, taking third place. Through her podcast, The Tango Banter, and IMSO Tango, she strives to empower social dancers at all stages of their journey, emphasizing the “3 Ms” of successful social dancing: mindset, movement, and musicality.

    Follow her on Instagram at @‌imso_tango, and explore her YouTube channel for free lessons and insights.

URBAN KIZ INSTRUCTORS

  • Charles Ogar is a prominent figure in the Urban Kiz dance scene, often called the Urban Kiz Godfather of North America. Since his first kiz class in 2012, Charles has spent over a decade elevating his skills, promoting the dance. As a primary dancepreneur since 2014, he has hosted 8 international Neo Kizomba festivals, organized 11 Jack & Jill competitions (including 8 Urban Kiz, 2 Kizomba, and 1 Switch format), and co-hosted 2 Olympiads of Kizomba competitions in North America. Charles also has notable history in the fusion dance world. He has thoroughly dabbled in blending Urban Kiz and Brazilian Zouk to create cool transitions. He has taught, DJed, and co-organized several notable fusion events, including TexFX 2018 and 2019 and DFRX 2019 and 2020 alongside Vanessa Yxcea. Known for his detailed yet fun teaching style, Charles has taught across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, and Europe. He also is building WhereCanWeDance.com, a global dance event directory, and creates online resources to help dancers elevate their skills, inspiring both the Urban Kiz and social dance communities worldwide.

  • Hailing from Texas, she grew up immersed in Latin dances and Country Swing until discovering Kizomba, which captivated her immediately. Acquiring proficiency in Kizomba and Tarraxinha in San Antonio, she swiftly transitioned to mastering the “French Style” of the dance prior to the establishment of Urbankiz as its formal denomination in the United States. Drawing inspiration from dancers like Laurent & Adeline, Chamalo, Kizzy, Michaela, Arnold Bunda, Albir, and her dance partner, Audi, she honed her skills in the dance form.

    Revered as one of the foremost practitioners of Kizomba and Urbankiz in North America, she achieved the first place ranking in the North American Kizomba Olympiads of 2017 and secured the second place spot in the Paris Kizomba Olympiads that same year, where she competed alongside Audi. Serving as a judge for the North American Kizomba Olympiads of 2018 and the Paris Kizomba Olympiads of 2022, she has also imparted her expertise in various other dance competitions both domestically and internationally. 

    Presently, she voyages globally on a full-time basis, delivering instruction in Urbankiz, Kizomba fundamentals, and Tarraxo to individuals and partners. Emphasizing the comprehension of biomechanics, musicality, expression, and techniques for leading and following, she fervently imparts her knowledge and passion for the art of dance. She actively invests in aspiring instructors and has contributed to the growth and enhancement of the dance scene for years.

TRAINING & BODY SUPPORT

  • Ally is a body geek and a movement addict. They’ve been dancing since they could walk, but discovered the world of partner dancing first in 2004 (and essentially never stopped). Blues, Lindy Hop, Tango, Fusion, West Coast Swing, contemporary, hip hop, house, aerial silks, pole dance, and a growing body of many other modalities are all in their wheelhouse. Throughout

    their exploration and training in each style, their love of the creative act of fusing grew. They have taught Fusion for 15 years, bringing their unique understanding of the body mechanics of movement to major events and local venues around the world. In addition to their dance teaching experience, Ally has also completed a 5-year teacher training program in Contemporary Alexander Technique—a somatic study of ease, coordination, movement, and presence. This additional education not only deepens the dance material they teach, but expands their pedagogy and love of the art of teaching itself.