Instructors

Yes Dance Founder

Monica Dabos Phd

Dr. Monica Dabos, an educator by trade and a dancer by heart, is the founder of Yes Dance!, a non-profit organization now located at 705 Paseo Nuevo, on State Street in Santa Barbara. A turbulent upbringing in Argentina and unconventional life choices have instilled in her a deep desire for fostering social inclusion at all levels. Bringing the community together whether teaching statistics or salsa is a passion for Monica and Yes Dance! is a manifestation of that passion. Located among Santa Barbara’s most infinite bar scene, Monica is introducing a new concept to the Santa Barbara community: fun downtown without alcohol....

Victor Contreas

Victor Contreras is an AMAZING teacher who has never failed to teach the salsa classes. Since the first day, Victor has given the tools and encouragement and dedication to all salsa learners that has no parallel. He does this without getting paid a penny. He volunteers all his time and dedication. He should get the Volunteer of the Year award in Santa Barbara. Victor’s dedication to salsa and the local community finds expression every Tuesday night when he assumes his alter-ego as an unpaid volunteer dance instructor. Victor has been sharing his love of salsa (for free!) for over four years, and...

Jayven Colon

Jayven Colon is one of Yes Dance’s newest dance instructors. Having an Associates degree in Theatre Arts from Santa Monica College, and currently a Third Year Transfer student at UC Santa Barbara working on a BA in Theatre Arts as well as a minor in both Education and Creative writing. Jayven has had 4 years of experience teaching dance and has been dancing for 8 years, teaching dance to all ages working for Lynwood Unified School district and even LA County for a summer program “Summer Night Lights.” Additionally Jayven has worked for other local dance studios in the LA...

Marlon Ruckle

Irene Kelly

Steven Matsumura

Musician and athlete since the age of 5, Steven has found the joy of dance as an amalgamation of his passion for music and movement. Finding dance as a therapy after the death of his father, he joined a hip-hop dance team at college and earned a scholarship to dance for the Fringe Festival and theatre program at Westmont College before graduating with a BS in Kinesiology and having studied in Hip-Hop, Break Dancing, Modern, Jazz, as well as exposure to competitive ballroom and Latin social dancing including Salsa, Bachata, and Merengue. He has also performed in Japan in over...

Carla Sandoval

Since the age of 5, Carla Sandoval has realized she has a great thrive for the performing arts. Carla would create little dance skits to show to her family at a very young age. She also participated in the dance drill team in elementary school. Carla continued dancing throughout her four years of high school. She started taking beginner classes at the SBHS Dance Department her Freshman and Sophomore year. Her Junior year she was apart of the Santa Barbara Donette Dance Team and competed in the “Miss Drill Team USA’’. Later on she was awarded in the National PTA...

Mon.	5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Tue. - Fri.	5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Sat.	5:00 pm - 1:30 am
Sun.	5:00 pm - 9:00 pm