LINDA AYENTES
STUDIO OWNER + DIRECTOR
Linda began her early training at the age of four with her step father in artistic gymnastics and continued in the sport until she became Provincial Champion at the age of 10. Linda then made the switch to Rhythmic gymnastics after seeing a local competition and falling in love with the sports beauty and grace. She began training with olympic champion, Lori Fung and Tricia Gilmore and quickly became provincial champion that same year in the novice category. Linda continued to train daily before school and later enrolled in a performing arts school that allowed her to train for half of the day and attend academic courses in the afternoon. Linda soon won a spot on the junior national team and had the opportunity to train at the olympic training center in Colorado Springs.
By the age of 15 she had achieved the title of Western Canadian Champion and was a bronze medalist at the Canadian Winter Games. It was during her time as a rhythmic gymnast that Linda was introduced to ballet, which was used as a tool to improve her skills in rhythmic gymnastics. She started ballet at a local studio and found a new love for the art. She completed Royal Academy of Dance exams with honor standings and was accepted to the National Ballet School of Canada in Toronto, Ontario for their summer program. Soon a whole new world of different styles of dance opened up for her, jazz, hip hop, contemporary and salsa, all of which she studied in Vancouver, Los Angeles and New York.
She began teaching at the age of 17 and working as a dancer in the film and television industry. Linda has had the opportunity to work with stars such as Halle Berry, Sarah Jessica Parker, Benjamin Bratt, and Sharon Stone to name a few and perform in such films as Catwoman, Dudley Do Right, Saving Silverman and Man About Town. Linda's dance career has also taken her to Japan where she toured with Japan's famous singer "Anri" on her Ever Blue Tour, to the Caribbean, where she was part of the cast on the "Millennium" ship for Celebrity Cruise Lines and to the NBA as a member of the extreme dance team for the "Vancouver Grizzlies".
Along the way, Linda fell in love with Salsa dance and began taking as many classes as she could find in Los Angeles and Vancouver. In 2011, Linda and her partner won the World Championship title in the Salsa ON 1 division in Las Vegas and went on to teach Salsa all over the US at dance festivals and conventions. Today, Linda feels so fortunate to bring her wealth of experience and knowledge to her students. She hopes to instill a life long love for dance in every student that passes through the doors of Artistico.