August 15th – 17th, 2025

MELISSA NOVENTA

Melissa Noventa is a dancer and ethnographer originally from Guelph, Ontario. Throughout her career she has accumulated a wide range of training, performing, and teaching experiences in classical, contemporary, urban, West African, Latin, and Afro-Caribbean dance forms, in both commercial and artistic settings. Melissa has studied and performed alongside a formidable list of distinguished artists from Canada as well as with Cuba’s premier folkloric ensembles. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) with a minor in English Literature, graduating with honours from York University, and holds an MA in dance (York University). Her research has focused on issues of embodied knowledge, cultural pluralism, body politics and Afro-Cuban folklore. Melissa is also an adjunct faculty member in the dance department at York University where she teaches courses in Latin American dance.

CORNELL MANNINGS

Cornell is a dancer, instructor, and choreographer originally from Montreal, Quebec.  He has performed and instructed at Salsa congresses internationally such as Miami and Puerto Rico.  Since 2000, Cornell has been teaching Salsa, Cha Cha, and Bachata  to students of all ages has taught well over 10,000 hours representing Canada at the Miami and Puerto Rico Salsa Congresses as well as the Montreal Salsa Convention.  His students have won a combined total of over 40 gold medals at the Dancesport Canada event held annually in Montreal as well as sevearal top ten finishes in various pro-am Salsa competitions.  Cornell is also a fabulous MC that loves to get his audience into the spirit of dance and music. His classes at City Dance Corps are always lively and full of fun!