INSTRUCTOR

SALSA / BACHATA

Matt Tanko Grand's dance journey originates from a love of music and a need for movement. He remembers being at family weddings as a child and admiring those who could dance. His desire to dance was further fueled by his Mom's love for dance shows like "Dancing With The Stars". In 2016, Matt walked up the steep stairs of CDC's Queen Street studio and was ready to shake what his Momma gave him. Taking the CDC salsa curriculum from start to finish several times, Matt applied his dance knowledge to the world of social dancing where he attended every salsa and bachata social from Friday to Sunday. He also regularly took the classes before the socials where he learned different styles and techniques from other Latin dance school instructors. Since 2017, Matt has trained and performed with the CDC Latin Dance Company under the direction of Tina Nico and Jerome Jean-Gilles. As a member of the CDC Latin Dance Company, he has performed at CDC showcases, Latin dance socials, and salsa congresses in Toronto and Montreal. In February 2020, Matt completed his salsa teacher training with CDC under the instruction of Tina and Jerome while shadowing with CDC instructors, Melanie James, Cornell Mannings, Alejandro Freire, and Celina Lee. Matt's teaching approach is high energy with emphasis on fundamentals, technique, and musicality. In addition, he enjoys teaching students about the origins of salsa music and dance while continuing to educate himself through literature, films, and workshops.