About Oliver
10 Times World Salsa Champion
Oliver Pineda is Australia’s only 10 x World Salsa Champion.
As the Founder & Director of world renown Latin Motion Dance Academy, Oliver co founded Latin Motion in the year 2000 along side Natalie Zeller (formally Reis)
Born in Australia and of Chilean descent, this young man started dancing Salsa at the mere age of 10.
Having now danced for 30+ years, Oliver has won 5 of his World Salsa Championship titles with former celebrity dance partner (a partnership of 20+ years) 3 x winner of Dancing with the Stars; Luda Kroitor.
Oliver’s unique style of dance and clear precise teaching methods make him one of the most admired and sought after Salsa dancers and instructors in the world. Oliver has taught millions of people & performed at thousands of events in every continent around the World and continues to travel spreading his passion & knowledge for dance.
Featured & referenced in many articles as one of the top 10 male Salsa dancers in the world, Oliver is co responsible for introducing to Sydney; Rueda in 1999, Kizomba & Semba in 2007, was one of the instigators of linear style Salsa in 2000 & is now undoubtedly the pioneer of Mambo On2 in Australia.
Oliver owes his career success to his 10 years of technical dance & competitive training within the Latin Dance Sport & Ballroom arena. Equipping him with first hand experience & knowledge in all styles Latin & Modern, Oliver’s career highlights include being a Multiple Australian times Latin American Ballroom Champion as well as being placed in the top 98 out of 600 couples in the under 21 youth division at the prestigious Blackpool Championship in London.
Oliver also owes his career success to his musical knowledge & percussion background given to him by his father, one of the pioneers & well respected percussionists in the Sydney Latin music industry.
Oliver, having worked as the permanent percussionist/musician (specialising in Timbales, Congas & Bongo/Campana) in the Alma Latina Band at the recently closed Vivaz Nightclub at age 16 & the Caliente La Banda band at the La Campana Nightclub at age 18, Oliver now occasionally plays with some of Sydney’s top Salsa bands & gets invited to play with some of the world’s best Salsa singers & Salsa bands in countries & events all over the World.
Oliver’s early performance experience within the Brazilian culture has also enabled him to handle Brazilian style instruments such as the Snare Drum, Zurdo, Pandero and the Hepinique & still performs within Brazilian & Latin American show troupes till today.
Oliver’s extensive dance experience also extends to Cuban/Afro Cuban, Cumbia, Cali Style Salsa, Zouk, Kizomba & Brazilian Samba as well as Latin & Modern Dance Sport styles in all its varieties such as Cha Cha, Paso Doble, Rumba, Jive, Waltz, Slow Foxtrot & Viennese Waltz to name a few.
As well as his musical & dance talents, Oliver was also a black belt martial artist in the combat art of Tae Kwon Do having taught kids from a young age & competed in many tournaments in Australia. This relationship between martial arts & dance was formed early on in his life, also equipping him with an understanding of the basics of the Brazilian martial arts, Capoeira.
Oliver continues to spread his incredibly profound knowledge & unique, sought after teaching methodologies & style to dancers all around the World & is now in the process of expanding Latin Motion & the OP Academy nationally & internationally.
Oliver’s 10 x World Salsa Championship titles are;
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2001 IDO World Salsa Champion – Miami (with Luda Kroitor)
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2005 World Salsa Open Champion – Puerto Rico (with Luda Kroitor)
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2005 ESPN World Salsa Champion – Las Vegas (with Luda Kroitor)
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2006 ESPN World Salsa Champion – Las Vegas (with Luda Kroitor)
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2007 ESPN World Salsa Champion – Miami (with Luda Kroitor)
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2012 HK World Salsa Champion – Hong Kong (with Vali Damaskou)
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2014 HK World Salsa Champion – Hong Kong (Soloist)
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2015 World Salsa Summit Champion – Miami (Soloist)
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2017 World Latin Dance Cup Champion – Miami (Soloist)
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2019 Ultimate Latin Dance Champion - Las Vegas (Soloist)
Oliver’s TV appearances & other achievements include;
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Choreographer/Performer: Dancing with the Stars - Channel 7
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Choreographer: So You Think You Can Dance - Channel 10
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Interviewed: Morning Show with Kerrie Anne - Channel 7
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Interviewed: Today Show with Sonia Kruger - Channel 9.
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Lead the ‘Americas’ segment, Olympic Opening Ceremony, Sydney 2000.
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Granted a Bachelors of Dance scholarship - Australian Collage of Physical Education (ACPE)
Why Me
There is a metaphor that goes like this -
One day a nuclear plant was going to explode. The manager, unsure what to do urgently called upon an expert. The expert came, pressed one button & saved the entire plant from utter destruction. Upon charging the manager an exorbitant amount of money for his services, the manager respectfully asked "but why are you charging so much, you only pressed one button?” The expert then calmly replied...
“Pressing one button = $1.
Knowing which button to press = Priceless”
What may look easy today (like pressing a button) has come from years of difficulty, constantly falling and getting back up. I know what it's like to sacrifice, I know what it's like to be uncomfortable, I know what it's like to lose and I also know what it’s like to experience success. It’s these experiences that equip me to being the best coach I can be for you today, not only in your physical capabilities but also in your mental fortitude. I can show you what not to do, I can show you how to avoid the mistakes I did & I can save you the most precious currency we have, time.
Whatever your goals may be. Whether to win a World Championship, whether to own your own dance school one day or whether you would just like to enjoy the light hearted benefits of what dance may bring to your life, I can help.
The more you improve as a dancer, the more I improve as a coach. The better you become as a person, the better I become as a mentor. It’s in my best interest to bring out the best in you.
If you win, I win.