Kevin Toft, Director
Kevin Toft is founder and director of South Street Salsa. He began his dance career in salsa, taking classes first in Princeton, New Jersey under Henri Velandia. After 2 years of performing and assisting classes at Hot Salsa Hot he began teaching beginner classes solo under the guidance or experienced teachers and with constant feedback from long standing students from the school. This attention to the needs of his students would be a permanent fixture in his teaching style in the decades to come. Over time he spent time training in ballet, modern and Brazilian zouk as his salsa skills and knowledge expanded under the tutelage of salsa world champion Eli Torres. The motivation to begin teaching in Monmouth County and Middlesex County stemmed from a desire to build a community closer to home.
“In my classes, I see people overcoming obstacles and building confidence in themselves. Doing that in a group builds great friendships and I want to provide that for people.”
Kevin is known for his ability to make learning quick and easy while help dancers of any experience level evolve and discover their latent talent. You will feel the difference when you are taught by someone who has not only developed his skill as a dancer but also his skills as a teacher of a subjective, ever changing, art form.
“My job isn’t just showing you moves and combinations. I want you to understand how the different moves fit together and build off one another. Like how mixing paint creates new colors, I’m showing you how to create your own art. As a teacher, I’m most interested in revealing the artist within each of my students.”
As the owner and director of the South Street Salsa community of dancers, Kevin has fostered a healthy, safe, and supportive environment for his students to learn, perform and make great memories.