Ava Apple

Ava is a San Francisco native who has been teaching and performing dance since her teens. She has taught and performed across the Americas, Hong Kong, Europe, and Israel, and has competed nationally in Salsa, Hustle, Theater Arts, American Rhythm, and West Coast Swing—earning numerous titles with various partners.

Her diverse dance training includes Salsa, Mambo Ballroom & Latin, Jazz, Flamenco Folk dance, Ballet and Tap with respected instructors across all styles

Ava has received awards for her contributions to Latin dance from the West Coast Salsa Congress, SF Salsa Congress, and the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.

She co-owned Symbolic Dance & Fitness in San Francisco’s Mission District for 10 years. Her team, The Latin Symbolics, became one of the longest-running teams on the West Coast and helped launch the careers of many top dancers, including Junior & Emily Alabi, Alex Lee, Chi Le, Kim Nodora, Jhon Narvaez & Liz Rojas, and Ciro & Mary Ann Martinez.

Rodolfo Guzman

Rodolfo grew up in Mexico City during the Golden Era of Mambo and has been a respected dance and fitness instructor in San Francisco for over 20 years. He is the co-founder of Symbolic Dance & Fitness in the Mission District and co-directed The Latin Symbolics with Ava Apple—one of the Bay Area’s longest-running and most influential Latin dance teams.

Rodolfo has spent the past two decades teaching a wide range of Latin dance styles, including Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, Cumbia, New York Latin Hustle, Merengue, and Partner Lifts/Theater Arts. He was also one of the first instructors to introduce San Francisco to the infectious rhythms of Bachata.