The Mission of Holy City Salsa is to Share the Joy of Music, Movement and Community Through Dance
We’re so grateful to be able to continue our mission in Charleston— we’ve been dancing since 2016 and thank everyone who has been part of this journey. Holy City Salsa Dance Studio was a brick and mortar in West Ashley from 2016-2020. With the uncertainty of the COVID epidemic, the physical studio closed in the summer of 2020 but the community stayed together. During COVID, Holy City Salsa hosted private lessons, small group classes and workshops at Dance Lab, eventually transitioning to our current home base at Amorous Dance. We offer group classes for adults of all levels, as well as periodic workshops and social dance events. Our instructors are passionate and enthusiastic about dance, especially the power of social dance to bring people together.
The Dance Floor is place where you see people of ALL walks of life, and Holy City Salsa is a community of varied individuals who all have one thing in common: dance.
Want to be part of the community? Join the Holy City Salsa Dance Fam on Facebook to connect with other dancers, instructors, and get updates on upcoming classes and events.
Meet our Staff
Georgia Grace Schrubbe, Owner and Instructor
“At a young age, I fell in love with ballet in my hometown of Fairhope, AL, and have been dancing ever since. I've been teaching various dance and fitness modalities since 2009 and got bit by the Salsa bug in 2010. My passion for dance has taken me around the country and the world, including adventures studying at the Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s Catedra de Danza in Havana, attending the Paris International Salsa Congress, and training with instructors at congresses and festivals regionally and nationally. I began teaching Salsa in 2013 as an apprentice with Yaenette Dixon at Charleston Latin Dance and started my company, Baila ConmiGA, in 2014. Baila ConmiGA rebranded to Holy City Salsa Dance Studio in 2016 and since its inception has shared the love of Salsa and Bachata to thousands of people in the Lowcountry and beyond. My intention as a dance instructor is to lead with joy and create a positive, uplifting environment where students can not only be the best dancer possible but the best version of themselves. ”
Kala Kannisto, Instructor
“When I was just 3 I twirled into my first dance class in Columbia, SC and I was hooked! Since then I have studied, competed and performed various different styles of dance including tap, jazz, ballet, swing, bachata, cha cha and of course, my favorite: SALSA! I’ve had the pleasure of teaching alongside and training with my best friend, Georgia, first with Baila ConmiGA in 2015 and with Holy City Salsa since it’s inception in 2016. In my over a decade of Latin dancing I have come to believe in the power of having strong fundamentals. It’s for that reason that I absolutely LOVE teaching beginners and first time dancers. My goal as an instructor is to create an inclusive, joyful and encouraging environment whether it’s your first class or your hundredth class. I like to make dance easy and accessible for all. In my free time, I love to spend time traveling and going out and about with my husband, Chris and our fur babies Winston and Oscar. I also love prosthetic and SFX makeup and work as a film makeup artist.”
Val Fuqua, Office Manager and Dancer
“My name is Val, I was born and raised in Pereira, Colombia and moved to Charleston 6 years ago. Growing up in Latin America, I was always surrounded by music and dancing was a big part of our culture and traditions; that’s why I missed it so much during my first couple of years living in South Carolina! But after meeting Kala and Georgia, joining the Holy City Salsa Performance Group before the pandemic, and now being part of the staff, I feel like I’ve been able to reconnect with my roots , and this brings me immense joy.”
Josh Rodriguez, Instructor
“I was born in Tampa, FL, but raised here in Charleston, SC. I enjoy many activities: traveling, sports, boating, going to the beach, or pretty much anything near water. The best activity is, of course, Latin dancing! I learned the basics from my parents & then learned the proper steps roughly 13 yrs ago. I haven’t stopped dancing and learning since. I love teaching and bringing in new people into Latin dancing and Holy City gives me the opportunity to do that! Hope to see everyone in class or on the dance floor!"
Garin Viloria, Instructor
"I remembered perfectly my first class at Holy City Salsa with Georgia in 2019, I immediately felt in love with this salsa style and this academy, since then I have been learning countless things. Being a part of this team has been an honor, a privilege and a blessing because regardless of the magical dancing I have met amazing people, different cultures, personalities and challenges. The Salsa classroom is my therapy, my temple, it is where I can: laugh, feel freedom, explore creativity, trust, learn, fail, grow and sometimes teach.
My goal in class always will be to create an enjoyable experience, to make you comfortable and we both are going to overcome fears."
