BIO
Anastasia Maximilian
Anastasia is a former competitive figure skater from Boulder, Colorado. She discovered Salsa and other Latin dances while studying at the University of Colorado Boulder where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Studies and a Minor in Dance.
Out of University she choreographed contemporary dance routines for a Boulder cirque group named Fractal Tribe and helped design and choreograph an award-winning show SubRosa (Winner of Boulder Fringe Festival) and was paid to bring the show to music festivals in Costa Rica, California and across Colorado. Feeling driven toward the Latin dances, Anastasia began a partnership with Roberto Lay, training and teaching Sensual Bachata and traveling around the United States at major congresses and festivals including Bachateando Miami, Atlanta Bachata Festival, Los Angeles Summer Festival, and Lós Angeles BKS.
It was during this time Anastasia discovered Brazilian Zouk and fell completely in love. She trained obsessively, taking many hours of private lessons with highest level Zouk professionals including IVO Vieira & and Shani Mayer, Clo Ferreira, Kamacho Kamacho, Léo and Becky, Master Gilson, Léo and Romi, and Renato and Rachel Ramalho.
In 2016 Anastasia moved to London and began a partnership with Renato Veronezi the creator of Urban Zouk and training and teaching full time with Renato and Pedrinho and Linda Mattos at UK Dance Connexion School in London. Anastasia is one of the first Americans to perform and tour for Zouk across Europe.
Major congresses instructing include:
- LA Zouk Congress
- Dutch Zouk Congress
- Brazilian Dance Festival (Amsterdam)
- West Zouk time (Brno, Czech Republic)
- Zouk Fever Budapest
- TLV LambaZouk Fest (Tel Aviv)
- Las Vegas Afro-Latin Festival
- Future Zouk Chicago Congress
- FUZE Afro-Latin Dance Festival
- Phoenix Bachata Festival