About BAILA Society
BAILA Society (BASo) was founded by Ahtoy Juliana, Daniel Enskat, and Joseph Rivera in 2005.
We are a cultural arts organization and dance school rooted in the preservation and celebration of Afro-Latinx social dance. We specialize in salsa and Latin Hustle, emphasizing the Black history and cultural heritage of these dances—including their African American, Afro-Cuban, and Afro-Caribbean roots.
We are educators, artists, and community builders committed to honoring tradition while creating inclusive, safe spaces for all. Our classes, performances, and community events center values of mutual respect, enthusiastic consent, and gender inclusivity—anyone can lead or follow.
BASo has proudly partnered with prestigious institutions such as Peridance and the Alvin Ailey Extension, sharing our art form with students and audiences worldwide. Our repertory company has performed at festivals across the globe, always with a focus on cultural integrity and artistic excellence. We are deeply invested in training the next generation of dancers – equipping them not only with strong technique, but with an understanding of the history, values, and community roots of the dances they carry forward.
At BASo, we believe dance is more than movement – it’s heritage, connection, and joy. We welcome everyone, from absolute beginners to seasoned dancers, to join us in keeping this legacy alive.
Founding Partners
Ahtoy began her professional dance training in childhood in Guam and studied classical ballet and modern dance with the Houston and San Francisco Ballet Companies. Ahtoy was a top International Latin Ballroom competitor in the collegiate circuit while attending Columbia University and later became a professional Theater Arts Champion. Ahtoy’s salsa career began in 2003 with Santo Rico, where she was a principal dancer and instructor. Ahtoy has performed worldwide with the multi-dance champion Billy Fajardo, as well as with several other dance companies, including Santo Rico, The Hustle Collective, Team Fajardo, and The New York Movement.
Ahtoy formed BAILA Society in 2006 with Daniel Enskat and Joseph Rivera. As Artistic Director, she created over three dozen works for the company that were showcased worldwide. BAILA Society became internationally recognized in the salsa industry, and Ahtoy had the privilege of mentoring countless young dancers, choreographers, and champions who came through the school and company.
Ahtoy is currently dancing with Edwin Tolentino, and together they hold numerous world champion titles in salsa and Latin Hustle. Ahtoy & Edwin are proud to represent Latin Hustle in the global salsa industry where they are showcasing and restoring the Latinx and Queer heritage of Latin Hustle.
Ahtoy is a founding judge of the World Salsa Summit and continues to adjudicate national and international dance competitions. She co-founded the United States Latin Social Dance Championship and The Youth Summit Championship.
Ahtoy has numerous theater, TV, and film credits, and was a principal dancer in the film adaptation of “In the Heights”. In 2022, she joined the cast of “Do the Hustle”, which was featured at Jacob’s Pillow and the Guggenheim Museum.
Ahtoy dedicates much of her work to dance education as faculty of the Peridance Center and the Ailey Extension. She teaches Latin Hustle and its history and social context at Scripps College. She is a member of the Latinx Educators Alliance (LXDEA). She is also leading community efforts to archive Latin Hustle in partnership with CENTRO, CUNY’s Puerto Rican archive, and Dance Is Life, a communitarian dance heritage organization.
Recently, Ahtoy co-founded Not Just Chisme, an alliance that seeks to address sexual misconduct, race & gender inequality, and abuse of power in the Afro-Latinx social dance industry. Not Just Chisme is leading the way in creating community-based approaches to address these issues, including curricula, codes of conduct, and workplace standards. BAILA Society is committed to community safety and inclusivity and is a member of Safer Dance Spaces, an international organization that provides training and resources to event organizers for this purpose.
Ahtoy holds a PhD in epidemiology from Columbia University.
Current instructors
BASo Familia – former dancers and instructors
