Element Dance Company

Formed in 2005 in Leeds, Element Dance specialise in the Urban Latin dance styles of samba from the streets of Rio De Janiero in Brasil, alongside reggaeton from the barrios of Cuba and Puerto Rico! They were one of the first all-female dance groups to work in the new latin dancehall derived musical style of reggaeton, doing shows in pioneering clubs such as Salsoul (Leeds) and Mas Fuego (London) as early as 2005.

Director and choreographer Ella Peck is “Rainha Da Bateria” (“Queen Of Samba”) with Britain’s top samba ensemble of the last 2 decades, the London School of Samba. She trained in Brasil and danced as a “passista” with one of the local samba schools in the 2006 Rio Carnival! In 2008, she won 3rd place in the “Rainha Da Bateria” competition at the International Samba Festival on Germany!

In 2007, Element Dance were crowned European Reggaeton Champions at the UK Salsa Congress. They have toured and performed internationally in Germany, Serbia, Denmark, Finland and India! In the UK, they have opened the Miss Black Britain pageant twice (2006 and 2007), appeared at top London dance and live music venues such as Sadler’s Wells, the Jazz Café and Brasilian club Guanabara! Element Dance members have recently featured in the national Nescafe adverts on prime-time T4 as well as in top UK salsa/rumba dancer Iris De Brito’s “Body Talk” DVD. They have also worked for a variety of Latin American drinks companies performing shows for the following – Sagatiba (samba), Pampero Ron De Venezuela (reggaeton) and Havana Club (reggaeton).

Leader Ella Peck was featured on the cover of “Urban Latino” on Nascente Records in 2004, one of the first UK CDs to highlight reggaeton, and the dance group has performed live on stage over the years with the UK’s top latin hiphop/reggaeton MC Magico from Colombia (currently recording with dance music legends Basement Jaxx).

With 12 dancers based both in London and Leeds, Element Dance are the most versatile urban latin dance company in the UK, equally at home performing in clubs and festivals as well as for corporate clients and established dance venues.