Team Lafrique
Our team consists of enthusiastic volunteers and experienced teachers, each with their own speciality and years of dance experience in different dance styles.
Lafrique Volunteers
Our volunteers are the ticking heart of Lafrique. Their enthusiasm and support make Lafrique what it is today. You'll find them behind the bar or recognize them by their big smiles, always ready to answer your questions and help out at our events.
Lotte, Lexi, Gijs, Maud, Femke, Margot, Samantha & Richard.
Lafrique Teachers
Irene
Irene began her dance journey as a little girl, twirling through jazz-ballet classes. At 17, she was taught Ballroom, Latin and the art of teaching itself. During a working holiday in Canada in 2016, she discovered Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba, and she hasn't stopped dancing since. She calls the dance floor home, with her students and colleagues as chosen family. Sharing her love and knowledge of dance has become her real grown-up job.
Koen
Koen made his first salsa steps in Costa Rica in 2009, but it took until 2018 when he first joined a salsa course at Lafrique. After slowly getting a feel for the rhythm of the music he joined the Rueda show in 2019 and also joined team Lafrique that year.
Since 2022 Koen assists in teaching the Salsa Cubana courses. Dancing rueda gives Koen the most joy, the fun of dancing and energy involved in a group always brings a smile to his face.
Monique
Monique discovered salsa after winning a free dance course at Lafrique in September 2016. She started the Salsa course and has been hooked ever since. "When I dance I cannot get that smile off my face. It’s a game of leading and following that is playful and fun." Later, she fell for the flow of Kizomba. Now, she cannot decide which dance she loves more.
Since September 2019 she's been teaching Salsa Cubana and Kizomba at Lafrique. "Let's spread the dancing virus!"
Sam
Catching a break and adjusting your moves to the music is the holy grail for every dancer. You can accomplish this by understanding the structure of music. Percussion is the heart of a song. Understanding latin percussion will help you become a complete dancer.
Sam is a passionate and awesome percussionist in Wageningen. Sam loves to teach you all about the percussion instruments used in Salsa and Bachata. Make sure you catch his lessons!
Adrienne
Adrienne's guilty pleasure: at the tender age of 14, she was introduced to salsa by watching the movie Dirty Dancing, again and again and again. At the age of 22 she travelled to Latin America and was forever hooked on Salsa. Repeated trips to dance companies in both Cuba and Brasil, combined with years of intensive dancing with Cuban dancers deepened her passion, technique and knowledge of Cuban dance.
During her 15 years of teaching she developed an intensive teaching style of her very own by holding each student and correcting every detail of their posture and attitude. 'Unlocking someone's joints and freeing them of their inhibitions, their joy is released. That experience fills me with awe and gratitude every time. Let's multiply happiness!'
Lafrique Sound and Light
DJ Waeil
Our trustworthy DJ Waeil. He first came to Lafrique to take Kizomba classes. He didn't just fall in love with the music, he also well in love with his wife here. He was already a DJ before, but now we get the pleasure of having him play the best kizomba, salsa and bachata music for us. Did you know you can hire him for your own events as well? We definitely recommend it.
Chantal
Chantal always enjoyed ballroom dancing, but after moving from Bergen op Zoom to Veenendaal and later Ochten and Rhenen, she did not dance for 40 years. With a major life change at the end of 2019 she discovered salsa LA and was completely hooked. She quickly expanded it to Bachata, Salsa on2, Kizomba and a little bit of Salsa Cubana. She loves Salsa on2 and hopes to once be loose enough to full out dance Cuban style. Both styles are giving her so much energy and happiness that she always leaves with a big smile on her face.
She joined Lafrique for the great atmosphere and the best Cuban Salsa classes in the region. Now she helps Lafrique out in many ways, stepping in as a leader or follower whenever it’s needed and with her garage full of audio equipment and lights she makes our socials and parties the best!
Lafrique Founders
Imke
Imke has been dancing ever since she was a little girl. Starting with folk, ballroom, Latin and even square and round dancing, she eventually stumbled across salsa. This changed her life forever! She developed into an all-round dancer with her repertoire being LA Salsa, New York Salsa, Cuban Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Cha-Cha, Rumba and Son. In 2008 Imke started teaching in Arnhem, after which she has been a teacher in different schools in the Netherlands and abroad.
When the African dances Kizomba, Semba and Tarraxinha reached the Netherlands, it did not take long for Imke to fall in love. In October 2013, Imke completed the teacher training with Afro Latin Connection in Porto. In 2014 Imke took the chance to realise a big dream; together with Pentcho she started Lafrique Dance Company. Sharing her love for Kizomba and Salsa is her biggest passion.
Pentcho
Pentcho started his dance career in Ballroom. After many years of practice and competing at the national level he went on to study Biology in Wageningen. Soon after he came into contact with Salsa, Bachata and Merengue. A new world of music and dance opened up. Pentcho broadened his horizon with Salsa Cubana, Afro-Cuban Rumba, Salsa-on2 and West Coast Swing. Finally Pentcho found Kizomba and immediately fell in love.
'Kizomba has it all. A mental and physical connection with the music and your dance partner through a hug. It doesn't get any better than that!'
As a teacher by nature he started to share his newly found passion in Arnhem, Deventer, Apeldoorn and Nijmegen. As of 2014 Imke and Pentcho started Lafrique Dance Company.