Authentically Latin Fun Community Rapid Learning Dance classes that deliver teaching excellence in a fun and friendly space TAKE YOUR FIRST STEP Established in 2004 & with over 20 years of teaching experience, learn from some of the most highly trained teachers in Australia!
Danzar Latino2025-02-04T11:21:56+11:00

Our motto:
to offer the highest quality of teaching
in a fun & friendly space 

Imagine you could be moving to music, learning a new skill, getting fit and expanding your social network all at the same time… Salsa, Bachata & social dancing allows you to achieve all of this and develop a skill you’ll truly love!

At DANZAR LATINO
we offer classes that use one of the most advanced teaching methodologies in the industry
to deliver authentic Latin dance classes in:

  • Cuban Salsa (Casino)
  • Afro-Cuban (Rumba, Orishas etc)
  • Colombian Salsa (Caleña/Cali Style)
  • LA Salsa (On 1)
  • NY Mambo (On 2)
  • Bachata (Moderna & Dominican)
  • Reggaeton & Body Isolations

We’re also dedicated to creating a welcoming space for all students, where you will become part of a fantastic social community, feel a sense of achievement, and have a tonne of fun!

DANCE STYLES

CUBAN SALSA
/ CASINO

This is a dynamic and fluid style of dance that combines elements of traditional Cuban Son with modern Salsa based turn patterns. This is a great style to develop your body movement and flavour!

COLOMBIAN SALSA /
CALI STYLE

Cali, Colombia is known as the Salsa capital of the world and is home to this highly energetic and impressive dance style. Cali Style is renowned for being sharp and technical and is perfect to develop your footwork and musicality!

CUBAN RUMBA /
GUAGUANCO
This is a highly rhythmic and expressive genre of dance that is comprised of three styles; Yambú, Guaguancó and Columbia. This dance style is emblematic of Cuban culture and is a great way to develop your body movement and styling!

AFRO-CUBAN

There are many styles of dance that fall under this genre, which has its roots predominantly in Central and West Africa, and of course Cuba. Aside from developing your body movement and coordination, these styles will help you to embody different emotions and characters!

WEEKLY
TIMETABLE

WEEKLY
TIMETABLE

VIDEO GALLERY

TESTIMONIALS

TESTIMONIALS

  • I have attended 4 or 5 workshops with Sanu and am always left feeling inspired by his passion and skill. He and Caroline make a great team. Highly recommend.

    Wendy Brewer Avatar Wendy Brewer
    May 9, 2022

    From the very beginning, Felicia and I knew we were going to be well taken care of by the team at The Secret Garden of Dance. Caroline was professional, courteous and very willing to hear about the type of dance we wanted to coordinate. Sanushka and Amy then took us through our lessons and choreographed a wonderful routine that we are very excited to perform at our wedding. We're about halfway through and know there is so much more to learn, but we are completely at ease and feeling confident we can nail it with the help of the great instructors at The Secret Garden of Dance. Thank you all! 🙂

    David Edward Lee Avatar David Edward Lee
    January 13, 2020

    Dear Steph, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks for all your guidance and support in teaching us our first dance. Your patience, expertise, and encouragement made the experience so enjoyable and memorable. We truly appreciate the time and effort you invested in helping us feel confident and comfortable on the dance floor. Thanks to you, our first dance was a highlight of our wedding day, and we received so many compliments! Thank you once again for being such an important part of our journey. We couldn’t have done it without you! Warm regards, Eileen and Matt

    Eileen Xu Avatar Eileen Xu
    November 11, 2024

    Sanushka is the real master teacher !! I have been dancing pretty much whole my life but I've never met a dance teacher like him . He doesn't teach just steps, moves, techniques and choreography etc to make us a dancing machines. He also teaches us more about the culture behind the dance and music for the dance which make the dancing more enjoyable and fun also make us a real dancers. I think how he teaches is very unique and his knowledge is just incredible you can't expect anything like that from a usual dance teacher. That made me and my partner decided to move to Melbourne from Cairns to learn from him. That is huge!! Because I believe Sanushka is the one can take me to the next level as a dancer how I wanna be !! 😃

    Juria Honda Avatar Juria Honda
    April 2, 2023
  • As a commercial style dancer growing up I have always felt like home in dance studio set up with mirros and space for correction of posture and to physically see what needs improving. The Secret Garden Of Dance is a traditional dance studio set up and the classes are also held this way, with the teachers focus on the style, culture and technique of the dance. There is the opportunity for a social dance environment throughout the class, however the emphasis is on improving your individual ability as a dancer in the style, which personally I love. Sanushka's passion for dance shines through and I love his analogies focussing on developing each student into their own creative expression as a dancer in the style chosen to learn. It is a welcoming environment with attention placed on learning. If you're wanting to delve into learning about culture, art through dance and your technique, here you'll find it.

    Kathryn Farrell Avatar Kathryn Farrell
    March 19, 2021

    The instructors here are very passionate about the style they teach. It feels like they want to train people to be good dancers and take the artform forward, rather than just running a dance school. A good student-teacher ratio and modest fee structure made this studio my favourite among many others that I have already attended in the area.

    Prateek Chadha Avatar Prateek Chadha
    March 22, 2021

    How can I rave about this place enough? Caroline was so patient & thorough. She was the perfect teacher - so kind with her instructions and feedback. She managed to completely transform our lack of confidence into a beautifully choreographed piece including 2 lifts when i never even considered one. Even on the day with the obstruction of my dress, the perfectly chosen & taught steps, we were so happy with the end result. We also left this very late - learnt it all with 1 class a week just a few weeks before the wedding! Thank you Caroline!

    Nishara S Avatar Nishara S
    November 11, 2021

    From the very beginning of our wedding planning journey, we knew that our first dance was something we really wanted to put time and effort towards. Sanushka and the team at The Secret Garden of Dance were incredible in always leading with our vision and story in creating something really special for us. Sanushka has a passion for both dance and teaching, meaning we didn’t just learn choreography, we got to try out different styles of dance, watch the instructors demonstrate their ideas and really workshop everything as a team. Our lessons were truly an unexpected highlight of the wedding planning process! We always looked forward to our time at the studio as it gave us an opportunity to learn something new together as well as to slow down and focus on each other, which often gets lost amidst the rush of planning a wedding. Our first dance was such a dream and Sanushka went above and beyond to make sure that on the big day, we felt confident to truly enjoy that moment in front of all of our loved ones.

    Sashini and Kavinda Avatar Sashini and Kavinda
    September 13, 2022

TEACHERS

Sanushka
Ranasinghe

Founder and director of
The Secret Garden of Dance & Danzar Latino

Sanushka has been a professional dancer and teacher for over 17 years and is the founder and principle teacher at The Secret Garden of Dance and Danzar Latino. He has taught and learnt over to 50 styles of dance, including Salsa, Afro Cuban, Swing, Tango, Hip Hop, Michael Jackson, Latin American & Ballroom. Sanushka has also performed, competed, conducted workshops & judged at various events including the World Salsa Solos (Brisbane), Sydney Cuban Salsa Congress, Melbourne International Latin Festival, Byron Bay Latin Fiesta and the Victorian Salsa and Bachata Championships.

Sanushka’s success as a choreographer and teacher was brought to the public attention in 2012 when one of his bridal couples Frankie and Ryan made worldwide headlines for their jaw dropping Lindy hop/Swing routine. Their wedding dance went viral on YouTube, was featured in major newspapers, online forums and editorials both in Australia and the UK and was televised on the major TV networks in Melbourne.

Sanushka’s love of music and dance started at an early age with Michael Jackson and he has inspired him immensely and has helped him achieve his unique style. He also incorporates other styles of solo dancing including Hip Hop, Funk, Reggaeton, Cubaton & Dancehall.

Sanushka also has a strong musical background and he brings this experience to his lessons, developing his students timing and rhythm. He’s also very passionate about the peripheral elements of dance, such as its rich diversity, culture and history.

Caroline
Puriri Komarnicki

Co-director and senior teacher at
The Secret Garden of Dance & Danzar Latino

“Sanushka not only taught me everything I know and made me into the professional dancer that I am today, but has also equipped me with vital skills as a student, dancer and teacher. He taught me the value of breaking limiting beliefs such as ‘you have to start from the age of 3 to be a professional dancer with a background in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary etc’.” Caroline began learning how to play music at the age of 3 and later on decided to pursue flute in which she completed up to Grade 8 through the Australian Music Examination Board, and guitar for pleasure. She later completed a degree in Sound Production & Audio Engineering, as well as Electronic Music Production.

Just over 3 years later and Caroline is now teaching and dancing full time at The Secret Garden of Dance, has taught at overseas events and has worked with some of the industries best in her primary style.

Having an extensive background in music and sports, Caroline then decide to begin dancing at the age of 21 as she wanted to learn how to “properly express herself to the music she loved and do it justice.” From her very first lesson, Caroline was enamoured and inspired and soon after decided to be the best that she could be and take it beyond what she had ever imagined.

FAQS

Do you run classes in terms / courses?2019-08-09T09:00:23+10:00

Short answer: Yes we do (but you can also drop into any class casually)
We run 6 week short courses in a term structure, allowing our students to build on the previous week’s material. However, we welcome casual drop in students as well. We introduce new material and dance content every 2 – 3 weeks so you won’t feel like you’re drowning in class! We have various levels that allow our students to develop their dancing, so you will never hinder your progress.

Do I need a partner to attend a class?2020-05-07T03:32:11+10:00

Short Answer) No you don’t!
We welcome all students whether you chose to come on your own, with a friend, family member, partner or a fellow dance student.

What should I wear for classes?2019-08-09T09:01:31+10:00

We recommend you wear active wear, casual attire and avoid clothes that are too tight or restricting. Some students come straight from work and others are in shorts and t-shirt. We also have bathrooms where you can get changed.

What’s the best footwear / shoes for your dance classes?2019-08-09T09:00:49+10:00

Recommended: Sneakers, trainers, walking shoes, flats, low heels with ankle support, Ballet flats, Ballroom and Latin dance shoes
Please avoid: Stiletto heels, heels with no ankle support, heavy boots, shoes with thick rubber soles, sandals/thongs/jandals/slip ons/flip flops!

What’s the duration / length of a dance class?2019-08-09T09:01:10+10:00

Short answer: 1 hour
Our classes are typically 1 hour in duration, whether it’s a private or group class. We may start or end the class 5 minutes earlier to complete payments, make another booking or answer any questions.

What payment methods do you offer?2020-05-07T03:38:52+10:00

We accept cash, eftpos, credit card (Visa & Mastercard only) and online bank transfer

HOW CAN WE HELP?

    Go to Top