Meet Our Team

Natasha Barrera was raised in Sarasota, Fl. She is a second generation ballroom dancer. Her career has taken her around the world to train and compete. As a result she has trained with top instructors and now speaks 3 languages: English, Spanish, and Italian. 

Partner dancing is her craft. After 26+ years of training she is known for her ability to follow any partner while dancing. During her travels she was exposed to many different dance styles and is now well versed in 29 partner dances. Her current focus being Bachata Sensual and Urban Kiz that she first encountered in Italy and Spain in 2013! 

Natasha believes that the dancing journey comes in many layers. The more we are exposed to, the more versatile our dance becomes. Hence, the dream for The International Movement Exchange was born.

Her competitive background gives her a technical understanding of mechanics in partner work. 

Training in contact improv, theater, and performance has provided a layer of drama, connection, and expression that comes across when she dances. 

 Her background in ballet, modern dance, and afro-cuban give her an understanding for body movement across many genres of dance. 

Her musicality stems from music theory, lyrical dance,  choreography and the exposure to diverse rhythms from cross training in other dance styles.

The nuance of her training is what makes her classes different. Beginners find more confidence, while intermediate and advanced dancers improve the overall look, feeling, and quality of their dancing.

She is always learning and always finding new ways to pass on her knowledge to her students!

Currently, Natasha is the director and founder of the social dancing school Bachata Fuego SRQ and Organizer of the International Movement Exchange. Her resume includes performer, dance instructor, choreographer, and event organizer.

• Sarasota Cuban Ballet
• Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences (2007)
• Booker High School VPA Dance Program (2011) 
• New World School of the Arts Summer Program
• Leymis Wilmot Founder of Sarasota Contemporary Dance Co (afro cuban instructor)
• Broadway Theater Project (2011)
• Deb McWaters (choreographer)
• Julian Barnett (choreographer)
• Pino Magnelli & Francesca Pietramale (Italy)
• Caterina Arzenton (Italy)
• Margaret Burns & Wilson Barrera (USA)
• Wilson's Dance Club (instructor, stage manager, coach, MC)
• Charlotte Jorgensen (Denmark)
• New York Wedding Dance (instructor and choreographer)
• Ieva Pauksena (NYC)
• Pamelita Urban Kiz (2021)
• Korke and Judith Bachata Sensual Instructor Program (2023)

What's something exciting your business offers? Say it here. Rose teaches Salsa and Afro-Cuban dance, drawing inspiration from New York, LA, and Cuban styles to create a dynamic and creative learning experience. Known for her energy and love of improvisation, she encourages students to explore both shines and partner work while developing rhythm and musicality. Rose’s classes are about more than steps, they’re about bringing people into her world of fun and play, where every salsa song is an opportunity to try something new. With a passion for collaboration, travel, and continuous growth, Rose inspires her students to embrace salsa as both a skill and a joyful expression.

Raised in Peoria, Arizona, Mina began dancing at just three years old, training in ballet, tap, and acro at Devney’s Dance Academy (now The Dance Project). Over the next 12 years, she traveled and competed across the country, later teaching ballet, jazz, and hip hop. Her passion for movement eventually led her to the Latin dance scene, where she discovered the vibrant social and communal energy of salsa and bachata. After years of social dancing and performing with Las Diosas, an all-female bachata styling team, she moved to Florida and began blending her classical and urban background into her own unique style.

Today, she teaches Latin fusion with Bachata Fuego, drawing on influences from bachata, salsa, hip hop, contemporary, and heels. Her classes are high-energy, fun, and welcoming, with a focus on giving students practical tools and exercises they can carry with them onto the social dance floor and beyond.

For her, dance is not only a form of expression but also a way to connect with community and release energy in a positive way. One of her most memorable moments came early in her journey, when she attended the Hollywood Vibe dance convention in California at just seven years old. Competing against dancers much older than herself, she won a scholarship that gave her the chance to train with world-renowned choreographers like Shane Sparks and Mia Michaels - a reminder that hard work and passion make anything possible.