Alien Rocio Ramirez

Alien Rocio Ramirez is one of the top professional dancers in the LA salsa scene, as well renowned choreographer, and Latin dance instructor. Originally from Bayamo, Cuba, her interest in dancing started at the very early age of 4 years old, and her passion for dancing has continued since then.

As a young child, she won 1st and 3rd place in her province and at a national acrobatic gymnastics competition in her home country. She has also won many 1st place awards at dance competitions throughout Cuba.

Then while attending art school, Alien involved herself in school and community activities, including directing recreational sports and cultural activities. In addition to being a talented dancer, Alien also won many other awards at a later age as a singer and composer of children’s music, and writer for children stories.

Ramirez started her professional dance training at EIA (Escuela de Instructores de Arte, Cuba) where she developed her skills in several different types of dances. Some of these styles include ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, flamenco, Cuban folklore and, of course, all Latin styles and Afro-Cuban as well as gymnastics. While at EIA, she completed her studies with high honors in a short period of three years as a trained dance instructor.

After graduating, she worked for half a year at the Olga Alonso Dance studio in Guisa, Cuba teaching Latin dance and Afro-Cuban styles. While working as an art instructor there, she also became a praised young leader for teaching Cuban and Latin American culture.

At the age of nineteen, Alien left Cuba with her family. She arrived to the United States hoping to make her dreams of applying her artistic talents as well as delighting the world with the talent that Cuba and God gave her. After arriving in Miami, she partnered up with Nelson Gaston Vidarte with whom she obtained several recognitions and won the 2004 Word Salsa Federation Championship in two different divisions.

Then, at age of twenty-one, she moved from Miami to Los Angeles. Amongst all the great dancers and talents in Los Angeles, Ramirez further grew as a dancer, where she learned about LA salsa style. Since 2005, she partnered with Alex Da Silva, who is well-known as one of the pioneers of the LA salsa style and together they have competed in many world championships like the 2006 & 2007 Mayan World Salsa Competition and the 2006 ESPN World Salsa Competition. She has recently competed at King King Hollywood in a Professional-Amateur Latin dance competition called Dancing with the Salsa Stars, where Ramirez and her amateur student placed in the top three, along with professionals salsa dancers Abel Pena and Jose Valencia.

During her career as a professional dancer and choreographer, Ramirez has worked as a dancer for several television shows, video clips, TV commercials, and movies such as “Man Without a Head” (2009) and as an assistant choreographer for Alex DaSilva on the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance" (2005 to present). Alien frequently conducts workshops in recognized Los Angeles night clubs like The Mayan, Mama Juana’s, Tapas, Tatou, Cocomo (San Francisco) and other places throughout California. She has also traveled all over the US teaching and performing, as well as around the world to Mexico, Germany, Colombia, Austria, El Salvador, Guatemala, Morocco and many more places.

Additionally, Ramirez has judged several salsa dance competitions, such as 2008 & 2009 Mayan World Salsa Competition, Stevens Steakhouse’s Amateur Salsa Competition in 2008 and the LA Top Salsera Competition.

These days, Ramirez is one of the most important figures in the salsa scene. Her style is very unique and captures the attention of the public. She confessed that dancing is her way of expressing her thoughts and feelings. Her passion makes people around her love salsa even more. People not only admire her for her style but also for her sweet personality. Her dancing style implies flavor, elegance and sensuality, combining her abilities and experience into her very own and unique style.