Chelsea Mount • Director & Founder of Salsa Connection
Head Instructor, International Performer & Instructor, Choreographer
South Australian Salsa State Champion
Chelsea started dancing in 2003 while working in a bar that began hosting weekly salsa classes. Within a month she was invited to start performing and her passion for salsa was ignited! Practicing behind the bar while serving drinks, it wasn't long before she started teaching, infusing the classes with humour and demonstrating the technical ideals which have become her trademarks. Chelsea has also competed locally in Latin Ballroom, easily winning a State title in her first event!
Chelsea’s unique, natural and amazing styling, with her brilliant technique, sensational spinning and most of all, her awesome following sees her in high demand by women and men alike, on and off the dance floor. Chelsea creates a connection with every dance partner she has, both male and female!
To enquire about a private lesson with Chelsea, click here.
Kevin Malpas • Director & Founder of Salsa Connection
Head Instructor, International Performer & Instructor, Choreographer
South Australian Salsa State Champion
Kevin's technical excellence in salsa was founded back in 1991 when as a teenager Kevin started learning Ballroom and Latin from the nationally regarded Madeline Zoanetti. Kevin competed in local and national competitions for over 6 years, and has also danced professionally in techno and club style dancing. In 1997 his daughter was born and Kevin took some years away from the lights to focus on fatherhood instead. However, when Kevin "accidentally" strayed into a Latin nightclub one night in early 2004, he discovered salsa and hasn't looked back.
Kevin's strong ballroom background leaves women swooning and men in awe of his fabulous leads. One of the gentlest yet most precise leads in the industry and renown for his floorcraft, his superior footwork and, even better, his following ability, Kevin is in constant demand on the social floor and in even more demand as an instructor.
To enquire about a private lesson with Kevin, click here.
Nikki Potter
Senior Instructor, Performer & Choreographer
Nikki is a professionally trained dancer with more than 20 years dance experience. Her first dance training began at Joanna Priest Dance Studio where she developed her RAD classical ballet dance technique. She furthered her training at Cheryl Bradley Dance Studios in ballet and expanded her range of dance styles into jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop and musical theatre. Nikki pursued additional studies in Melbourne after high school. Completing a two year full time course with Dance World 301, she trained intensively in many styles including jazz, ballet, tap, singing, acting, flamenco, acrobatics, hip-hop and musical theatre, accrediting her with a diploma in dance.
Nikki has performed internationally in Singapore and China, as well as appearing in video clips, advertisements and corporate events.
Diversifying into Latin dance has become Nikki's new passion. Her outlook towards dancing is a combination of passion, technique and fun! Nowadays Nikki is teaching both Classical ballet and Salsa, as well as performing as part of the Salsa Connection team throughout the country. Her background in technique driven styles makes her a great follower to dance with and an awesome teacher to learn from.
To enquire about a private lesson with Nikki, click here.
Kevin and Chelsea started dancing together in 2004 and have quickly become Adelaide's most sought after dancers. Adelaide's pioneers of linear style salsa, Kevin and Chelsea founded Salsa Connection Dance Studio in 2006 as the first pure linear salsa school in Adelaide. They pride themselves on their precision, while keeping their dancing fun and exciting. Their connection is visible when they dance, and they enjoy touching each dance partner they have with their infectious energy, even if it's only for one dance! Kevin and Chelsea's adaptability, each of them dancing both lead and follow, as well as their commitment to the improvement of not only themselves but also their students, keeps men, women and teachers coming back class after class. All of this in one of Australia's most friendly and approachable couples!
Salsa Connection is now one of Australia's most recognised Salsa and Latin Dance Studio. Our dancers and teachers have a reputation for not only being great performers and social dancers, but really lovely people too. We help nuture a culture, a "family feel" you could call it, that keeps growing and sharing all the time. Some of your dancers and teachers have even gone on to work with other schools, performing, dancing and even teaching for them too, helping to spread the Salsa COnnection love around our fair State and around Australia. We are the place people come to when they want that "expert opinion" and we are happy and proud in the knowledge that we have shared ourselves and helped to create and teach some of Adelaide's best dancers and teachers.
The team at Salsa Connection pride themselves on not only being among Australia's top performers, but with Kevin and Chelsea at the helm as one of Australia's leading Instructing couples, they are also among Australia's best leaders and followers. This has taken many hours of practice and an investment into learning as they strive to grow and develop themselves so that they can deliver only the best to you in the class, on stage and on the social floor. We have been fortunate to have learnt from some of the best instructors the world has to offer, including:
Once again, we'd like to thank all of these wonderful, world class talents for their attention & love and for sharing themselves with us.
They have helped make us all the top level dancers we are today!
Thank you,
Kevin, Chelsea and the Salsa Connection Family! xox
Here's some of the things we've been up to lately:
Kevin & Chelsea Guest Performance Appearance on My Kitchen Rules
Channel Seven | Adelaide "Mod Squad" Student Team Performance
2010 6th Annual Sydney Salsa Congress | Sydney Professional On2 Team Debut National Performance
2010 6th Annual Sydney Salsa Congress | Sydney Kevin & Chelsea Performed at Invitation Only Matinée Show
2010 6th Annual Sydney Salsa Congress | Sydney Instructed Workshops at Sydney Salsa Congress
2010 6th Annual Sydney Salsa Congress | Sydney "Mod Squad" Student Team Performance
2010 Adelaide Salsa Ball | Adelaide Professional On2 Team Debut Local Performance
2010 Adelaide Salsa Ball | Adelaide 3rd Place, Solo Teams Division
2009 Tropicana National Latino Festival | Adelaide Instructed & Performed at the Byron Latin Fiesta
2009 4th Byron Bay Latin Fiesta | Byron Bay Debuted Adelaide's First "On2" Ladies Styling Team
Salsa Connection Weekend with Jaime Jesus & Sharon Pakir | Adelaide 2nd in "On2" in Australia & 6th Overall, Professional Couples Division
2009 Australian Salsa Classic Championships | Sydney "Mod Squad" Student Team, 3rd Place, Showcase Division
2009 Australian Salsa Classic Championships | Sydney 2009 South Australian Professional Salsa State Champions
2009 South Australian Salsa State Title Qualifier| Adelaide "Mod Squad" Student Team State Champions, Showcase Division
2009 South Australian Salsa State Ttile Qualifier | Adelaide Instructed & Performed at the Malaysian Salsa Festival
Kuantan, Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia Performed at "Latin Collective", Bar Salsa
London | United Kingdon Performed at the DouDouLe Latin Dance Camp
Gold Coast | Queensland Performed at the Victorian Bushfire Relief Fundraiser
Norwood Concert Hall | Adelaide Instructed & Performed (Solo & Team) at Inaugural Melbourne Latin Festival
Melbourne Latin Festival | Melbourne Performed (Solo & Team) at Inaugural Adelaide Salsa Festival
Norwood Concert Hall | Adelaide Performed at the Interstate Palladium Showcase
Factory Theatre | Sydney Instructed & Performed at the Salsa Fiesta de Indonesia
2nd Annual Salsa Fiesta de Indonesia, Kuta Beach | Bali Performed at Invitation Only Matinée Show
2009 5th Annual Sydney Salsa Congress | Sydney On2 Student Team Performance (First On2 Team from Adelaide)
2009 5th Annual Sydney Salsa Congress | Sydney South Australian Professional Salsa State Champions
2008 South Australian Salsa State Titles | Adelaide 6th Place, Professional On2 Division
2008 Australian Salsa Classic Championships | Sydney Instructed at the South Australian Salsa Expo
The Governor Hindmarsh | Adelaide Performed at the Parks Alive Community Event
Brighton Beach | Adelaide Performed at the Cuba Relief Charity Event
Savvy | Adelaide 4th Place, Professional Salsa Division
2008 Tropicana National Latino Festival | Adelaide Performed at the Adelaide Salsa Social
North Adelaide Community Centre | Adelaide Performed (Student Team) at the Adelaide Salsa Ball
The Hyatt Ballroom | Adelaide Instructed and Performed Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham Ski Resort | Victoria
At Salsa Connection, we believe in giving our students and staff the opportunities to broaden their horizons & see the dance scene outside of our own studio. We want our people to dance with some of the best dancers in the world to some of the best bands & DJ's in the world,
as well as watch and be a part of some of the most spectacular shows &
talents that our scene has to offer.
SCDS has worked hard to be able to offer a myriad of opportunities to not only our students, but to Adelaide in general! The rewards are there for those that want to take these opportunities... ask us how you can join in the fun of travelling, attending great festivals, perform,
learning from the world's best, dance with people from around the world and enjoy being part of the Salsa Connection "family"!
With Salsa Connection, we want to make you part of something bigger!
To enquire about a private lesson with Chelsea, click 
