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Find her on Facebook Afrekete Australia
Or Instagram: AfreketeAustralia
Or Websites: www.afrekete.com or https://christinamonneron.com/
CHRISTINA MONNERON is an internationally trained dancer, teacher, and cultural ambassador with nearly three decades of experience in Afro-Cuban and Cuban dance traditions.
She regularly teaches at the Aoteroa Cuban Festival in Rotorua - and she is keen to catch up with her NZ dance family.
We are so blessed to have her as part of Salsa Tumbao 2025!
Do not miss her Rumba Feminina workshop on Saturday morning or her Ladies Styling workshop during the lunch break on Sunday.
We spoke to Christina about what drives her to dance.
What is your dream car - and why?
"I'm actually really into classic cars and according to my classic car lover partner, the Volkwagen Karmann Ghia coupe from the mid-1960's suits me - I tend to agree, it's got this timeless classic feel with curves in all the right places - and it's got to be in blue of course."
What drives you to dance?
"The music of course!! Dance for me is like a remembrance - of the true me.
I have danced since I was young, but back then only for myself and not for others. The music and rhythms take me to a place where I can just be myself.
Since immersing in Afro-Cuban rhythms the past 30+ years it was literally like a returning 'home'."
Christina's Cuban dance journey actually began in Sweden (1996–97), where she trained and toured across Scandinavia with Maestro George “Chiqui” Dixon, former principal dancer of Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba.
In 1998, she deepened her studies in Havana and Santiago de Cuba, specializing in Orisha dance, Rumba, and Cuban folkloric traditions. In 2001, Christina was initiated into the Cuban Santería (Regla de Ocha) tradition, grounding her work in lived spiritual lineage and cultural authenticity.
What do you feel after an amazing evening of dance with great people?
"The immense joy from not only the rhythms and the music, but also from the room full of people - also in their joy. It totally leaves the stresses of the world behind and the moment feels totally blissful."
In 1999, Christina founded Australia’s first Cuban Dance Academy, teaching and mentoring thousands of students while producing vibrant cultural showcases.
In 2006, she developed the Academy’s Teacher Training Syllabus, creating a structured path for future instructors to authentically transmit Cuban dance traditions. Christina went on to host Australia’s first international Cuban dance festival, CubaMeMucho (Melbourne, 2009), and later co-founded Afrekete (2012)—Australia’s unique Afro-Cuban Dance & Drum Retreat, a celebrated cultural and spiritual gathering.
You have five words - how do you convince someone to start dancing?
"If not now, then when?"
Known for embodying the Orisha archetypes through movement, Christina has performed and taught across Europe, Cuba, and Australia.
Today, she integrates her cultural expertise with holistic wellness through her signature practice, Orisha Movement Therapy—a blend of Afro-Cuban dance, healing, and empowerment that helps women reconnect with their essence, vitality, and full self-expression.
Christina is the Co-Founder & Festival Director at Afrekete Inc - Australia's Premier Dedicated Afro-Cuban Dance and Music Festival in Queensland
T: 0432 509 519
FB: AfreketeAustralia
Insta: afreketeaustralia
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