The Toronto Salsa Passion Team

Anton Sitnikov aka Tony

Founder and Director of Toronto Salsa Passion


As a young boy, Tony has always been immersed in dance. His interest in dancing began when his mother enrolled him a ballroom dance school at home in Ukraine, where he took lessons from some of the best ballroom dance instructors in the world.

After moving to Canada, Tony felt the need to continue his passion in dance and performed in Canada and abroad at various corporate events. He performed at different Salsa Congresses around the world and had many choreographic experiences.

Although he’s always loved dance, Tony’s passion for Salsa emerged when he visited a Latin dance club here in Toronto. He was enraptured by the infectious music, the fluid movement, and the sensuality of this Latin dance. In 2006 Tony had the idea to create his own Salsa community and school to share his passion. That’s when Toronto Salsa Passion dance school was born.

Tony not only teaches Salsa, Bachata, and Merengue, but he is also part of a semi-pro Latin dance team and continues to perform and compete. As a talented guitarist, Tony also plans to create a CD and tour the country as a live band/performing group.

Joanna Lavoie

Joanna’s career and love for dance began when she was just four years old when she started taking tap, ballet, jazz and even gymnastics classes at local community centres. At that same time, Joanna also became a member of a Ukrainian dance troupe. It’s an art form she’d pursue for more than 15 years.

As a teen, she honed her skills in modern, jazz, hip-hop and partner dancing by performing with the award-winning Les P’tits Géants drama troupe.Always smiling and laughing, Joanna always puts her heart into her lessons and shows.When not dancing, she works as a bilingual journalist in Toronto.

Sergio Melluso

Salsa / Afro-Cuban style Dance Instructor

Born and raised in Bella Italia Sergio has discovered the magical world of Salsa through the Cuban music and culture, even studying its rhythm history and style. He has been trained by Cuban professional dancers in Italy and in Cuba, in which he specialized his own style and technique. He started teaching Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Rueda de Casino in many dance studios in Italy, then he brought his own style in Canada introducing also Rumba Afro-Cubana and Son. He performed in shows in Italy and in Canada, as well.

Recognized as passionate, talented and very patient, always careful on his students, he is able to share his great love and enthusiasm for Salsa.

Yulia Fedan

Cha-Cha Instructor

Yulia has been dancing since she was 5 years old and has been teaching for 10 years. Having trained in many styles of dance ranging from hip-hop, jazz-modern and break-dance her passion lies in Ballroom & Latin dance where she is classically trained by some of the best teachers and dancers in Europe, where Ballroom and Latin dancing is considered a sport.

Yulia has competed, performed and taken part in numerous competitions and shows for the past 15 years. Students appreciate her patience and understanding as well as her careful explanations of the all-important basics of Ballroom and Latin dance. Yulia's classes are filled with energy and fun and she is dedicated to making your dance experience a memorable one.

Valentin Mirosh

Valentin Mirosh, aka Val Mirage  is a Canadian dancer and performer. Valentin is three-time Canadian and one time US Open Latin and Ballroom Champion. He has appeared as an Academy Dancer in the major motion picture “Take the Lead”. In the summer of 2008, Val was the featured coach on an episode of the MTV’s reality series “Made” where he trained Toronto teen Joana Cardoso to become a Latin-Ballroom dancer. He and his partner, Katya Kerro, also became 15th at the 2003 World 10 Dance Championships in the Czech Republic. Val is currently a professional dancesport instructor at Toronto Salsa Passion and is available for private lessons.