Selene Tovar, danseuse de Mambo originaire de Guadalajara et installée à New York
Selene Tovar, Mexican dancer from Guadalajara, Mambo specialist based in New York
Selene Tovar · Salsa & Mambo · Guadalajara, New York

SELENE TOVAR at a glance

  • Stage names : Selene Tovar [1]
  • Origins : from Guadalajara 🇲🇽, based in New York [1]
  • Birth : she does not give her date of birth
  • Home base : New York [1]
  • Stage partners : two partners before Rodrigo, including Rubén · Rodrigo Cortazar · then solo · Fernando Azúa [2]
  • The duo : with Rodrigo Cortazar, around 2010 [2]
  • Style : Mambo, with a very musical sense of play [1][2]
  • Achievements : no titles announced; she says she never went through the competition stage [2]
  • Teachers : Miguel Ángel Castillo (“Miguelito”), then Franklin Diaz [2]
  • Current status : active; on the lineup for Fusion Salsa Fest in Mexico City in October 2025 [3]
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Selene Tovar: from percussion to Mambo, a Mexican dancer in New York

Selene Tovar, from Guadalajara, comes to dance through music. She starts dancing in 2008, forms a duo around 2010 with Rodrigo Cortazar, then continues solo, creates the event Just For You and now dances with Fernando Azúa.

She initially wanted to study music, until a first dance class settled everything. Her teachers include Miguel Ángel Castillo, with whom she starts, and Franklin Diaz.

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About this article

This article follows Selene Tovar’s journey from Guadalajara to New York: her beginnings, her duo with Rodrigo Cortazar around 2010, then her solo career and projects, in her own words at every stage. The facts come from her interviews, festival pages, and event pages. The numbers in brackets refer to the notes at the bottom of the page.

Last updated: October 2026.

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“La danza yo creo que es la manera de expresión universal.” (Dance, I think, is the universal form of expression.) That is what Selene Tovar says in a December 2020 interview [2]. A Mexican woman who came to dance through music and found in it a way to travel around the world.

Around 2010, she forms a duo with Rodrigo Cortazar, then continues on her path: a solo career, an event she creates for women, a duo with Fernando Azúa. Her story is easy to sum up, but a few questions keep coming up: is she a world champion?, has she been dancing with Rodrigo since 2005?, does she only exist as part of a duo?

And there is what those questions leave out: music, where she comes from, the teachers who shaped her, and what she has built for herself. That is the thread of this article.

World champion, a duo since 2005, only Rodrigo’s partner? The 5 MYTHS about SELENE TOVAR, TRUE or FALSE

Before telling her story, a necessary stop. Several claims about Selene Tovar keep coming up. Which ones hold up? The verdict at a glance, then the details in the sections indicated. As for her date of birth, she does not give it.

❌ MYTH 1 · Selene Tovar, world champion?

You might think she is a world champion

✅ Nothing says so — Selene says she never went through the competition stage.

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❌ MYTH 2 · A duo with Rodrigo since 2005?

You might think they have been dancing together since 2005

✅ False — Selene starts dancing in 2008 and the duo dates to around 2010, as she says.

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❌ MYTH 3 · Los Anormales, the duo’s name?

The duo is supposedly called “Los Anormales”

✅ False — according to Selene, it is a group of dancer friends, born out of love for their colleagues.

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❌ MYTH 4 · Selene, a dancer since childhood?

Selene Tovar has supposedly always danced

✅ False — she initially wants to study music. She starts dancing in 2008.

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❌ MYTH 5 · Selene, only Rodrigo’s partner?

She is supposedly only known through her duo

✅ False — before Rodrigo, she had two partners; after him, she has a career as a soloist, the event Just For You, and a duo with Fernando Azúa.

READ THE SECTION >

GUADALAJARA: a SALSA-LOVING father, a ROCKER mother, and the dream of traveling

Selene Tovar grows up in Guadalajara, in a home where there is no shortage of music: “mi papá y mi abuela siempre tenían salsa” (my father and my grandmother always listened to Salsa) — Selene, OH MY D!, December 2020 [1][2]. She, however, prefers something else: “a mí en realidad me gusta mucho el rock, mi mamá es rockera” (I actually really like rock, my mother is a rocker) [2].

She wants to study music and dance: “Yo siempre quise estudiar música, me gusta mucho la música y siempre quise bailar” (I always wanted to study music, I really like music, and I always wanted to dance) [2]. In Mexico City, she takes a percussion class and plays in bands: “me fui, me fui, me fui hacia la música y era feliz” (I went, I went, I went toward music and I was happy) [2].

Her childhood dream is to travel: “yo sabía que yo quería viajar por el mundo y yo pensaba que la música me iba a dar esa oportunidad y al final fue el baile, ¿no? sin quererlo” (I knew I wanted to travel around the world and I thought music would give me that opportunity, and in the end it was dance, right? without having intended it) [2].

MEXICO CITY: a SHOCK, a first class in 2008, and a first paid event

Long before her first class, Selene sees Miguelito (Miguel Ángel Castillo), Gaby Bernal, and Víctor Burgos dancing in Mexico City: “Y ahí fue donde yo vi a estos bailarines, a Miguelito, a Gaby Bernal, a Víctor Burgos. Y para mí fue un shock tan grande, tan grande.” (And that was where I saw those dancers, Miguelito, Gaby Bernal, Víctor Burgos. And for me it was such a huge shock, such a huge shock.) [2]

Then comes the first class: “Pero cuando probé la clase, algo que a mí me hace muy feliz en mi vida es cuando tomo clase.” (But when I tried the class — what makes me very happy in my life is taking classes.) She concludes: “Así que dije, no, yo quiero más, quiero más, quiero más, quiero más.” (So I said: no, I want more, I want more, I want more, I want more.) [2] It is in 2008: “Yo inicié a bailar en el 2008” (I started dancing in 2008) [2].

She starts from scratch: “No tenía ningún conocimiento de baile” (I had no knowledge of dance) [2]. Her teacher is Miguel Ángel Castillo, “un maestro excelente” (an excellent teacher) [2]. She goes to every social: “Yo estaba tan emocionada que me iba a todos los sociales” (I was so excited that I went to every social) [2].

Before Rodrigo, she says she had two partners [2]. With one of them, Rubén, she starts workshops, then comes her first paid event, in Veracruz: “un día nos invitaron a Veracruz, mi primer evento pagado” (one day we were invited to Veracruz, my first paid event). She cannot believe anyone wants to pay them, “el show y la clase” (the show and the class): “yo ni bailo todavía, ¿no?” (I do not even dance yet, right?) [2].

2010: SELENE and RODRIGO, a duo that travels

Some time later, Selene starts working with Rodrigo Cortazar : “ya casi a cumplir dos años, empecé a trabajar con Rodrigo y de ahí cosas surgieron, empezamos a viajar muchísimo” (after almost two years of dancing, I started working with Rodrigo and from there things began to happen, we started traveling a great deal) — Selene, OH MY D!, December 2020 [2].

She gives the year in English: “we started 2010 and we started like 2011 very hard we got a lot of work” (we started in 2010, and around 2011 we began working very intensely: we had a lot of work) [2]. Rodrigo remembers an event with her in New York, which he dates to around 2010 [4].

Selene speaks of him with admiration: “trabajar con Rodrigo, que hicimos creo un equipo excelente él tenía mucha información es un excelente maestro” (working with Rodrigo, with whom we made, I think, an excellent team; he had a lot of information, he is an excellent teacher) [2]. And also: “yo me sentaba embobada a verlo dar su clase” (I would sit, fascinated, watching him teach his class) — Selene, Fusión Salsafest, July 2023 [2].

She also talks humorously about her questions as a dance partner: “a veces yo creo que también a Rodrigo pobrecito le puse canas verdes” (sometimes I think I also gave poor Rodrigo a hard time). She explains that her “whys” were not meant to start arguments: “mi idea no era para pelear” (my idea was not to fight) [2].

On the performance side, the duo travels: “fuimos a Europa, a Asia, a Centroamérica” (we went to Europe, Asia, Central America) [2].

NEW YORK, 2009-2011: FRANKLIN DIAZ, a video and then a class

Selene has her own memory of Franklin Diaz. She sees a video of him around 2009: “yo vi un video de Franklin en 2009 aproximadamente” (I saw a video of Franklin around 2009) [2]. Then, in New York: “llego a Nueva York en el 2011 Y tomé una clase con él” (I arrive in New York in 2011 and I took a class with him) [2]. Rodrigo, for his part, recounts that class with Franklin at a congress in New York, which he dates to around 2010 [4]. It leaves a lasting impression on her: “no ha habido otra clase que me conecte de esa manera” (there has been no other class that connects me in that way) [2].

In Rodrigo’s account, the duo is living in Los Angeles at the time: “Selene y yo vivíamos en Los Ángeles trabajamos en Los Ángeles, teníamos nuestro grupo, nuestras clases y todo.” (Selene and I lived in Los Angeles, we worked in Los Angeles, we had our group, our classes, and everything.) — Rodrigo, Salsa Controll, August 2026 [4].

FUSIÓN, the “CORTES,” and Los Anormales

Selene identifies with playing with the music: “algo que me caracteriza o que la gente ubica de mí es jugar con la música” (what characterizes me, or what people identify in me, is playing with the music) — Selene, Fusión Salsafest, July 2023 [2]. With Rodrigo, she offers “lo hicimos como muy popular ese estilo que le llamamos cortes” (we made that style very popular, the one we call “cortes”) [2].

The Fusión festival in Mexico City is a landmark: “Fusión también fue como un parte importante en la carrera que tenía con Rodrigo” (Fusión was also an important part of the career I had with Rodrigo) [2].

Among their projects is a group of dancer friends, Los Anormales. It is not the duo’s name. Selene says: “los veíamos con tanto cariño que dijimos, vamos a hacer un grupo” (we looked at them with so much affection that we said: let’s form a group) [2]. The project was born, she says, “del amor Hacia nuestros colegas” (out of love for our colleagues) [2]. At that time, “Rodrigo y yo ya estábamos, gracias a Dios, despuntando un poco” (Rodrigo and I, thank God, were already starting to break through) [2].

AFTER the duo: SELENE, New York, a BOOTCAMP, “JUST FOR YOU,” and Fernando Azúa

After the duo, Selene decides to stop dancing for a while. She explains it this way: “Hubo un tiempo que yo decidí dejar de bailar y justamente lo decidí porque siento que no estaba yo en una situación emocional para dar a la gente esa alegría […] Entonces decidí apartarme, que es cuando me voy a Nueva York” (there was a time when I decided to stop dancing, and I decided that because I felt I was not in an emotional state to give people that joy […] so I decided to step away, and that is when I leave for New York) — Selene, La Vieja y La Nueva, July 2022 [2]. There she becomes a student: “Y dije, quiero ser alumna” (and I said: I want to be a student) [2]. From that period, she retains a love of teaching: “me gusta sobre todo enseñar, que fue donde yo reafirmé esa parte, que antes no quería dar clases” (I especially like teaching, and that is where I reaffirmed that side, what I did not want to do before: teach classes) [2].

Upon her return, a bootcamp at the Fusión festival revives her solo career and opens doors for her: “gracias a ese bootcamp me llamaron a China, me llamaron a otros lugares” (thanks to that bootcamp, I was invited to China, I was invited to other places) [2]. She adds: “Y vinieron grandes oportunidades para mí, que fue Asia, Europa sobre todo como bailarina solista” (And great opportunities came my way: Asia, Europe, mainly as a solo dancer) [2].

She also creates an event for women, Just For You: “fui de las pioneras en todo el mundo en hacer un evento para mujeres” (I was one of the pioneers worldwide in organizing an event for women) [2]. She announces the edition “del 28 al 30 de julio del próximo año 2023” (from July 28 to 30 next year, 2023) — Selene, La Vieja y La Nueva, July 2022 [2].

A Mambo specialist, according to the Croatian Summer Salsa Festival page, she now lives in New York [1]. In May 2024, she teaches a musicality workshop in Bucharest [3]. She forms a new duo with Fernando Azúa. The project stems from a long-standing idea: “Realmente la inquietud nace porque yo hace mucho tiempo quiero hacer un método de pareja” (Actually, this desire comes from my long-standing wish to create a method for partner dancing) [2]. Their choreography to María Cervantes means a lot to her: “para mí María Cervantes fue algo especial” (for me, María Cervantes was something special) [2]. “Selene & Fernando” is on the lineup at Fusion Salsa Fest in Mexico City, from October 1 to 5, 2025, alongside Rodrigo Cortazar and Karel Flores [3].

Her dream for Fernando: “Que te hagan fila y que te digan qué bonito bailas.” (For people to line up for you and tell you: you dance so beautifully.) [2]

Her METHOD: finding an IDENTITY, understanding the body

Selene advises finding your own path: “Búscate una identidad O sea, define quién eres ante todo” (Find your own identity, that is, define who you are above all) [2]. She likes to understand: “soy muy feliz aprendiendo, soy muy feliz haciendo que mi cabeza piense cómo funciona el cuerpo” (I am very happy learning, very happy making my mind think about how the body works) [2].

What she says about herself: PASSION and GRATITUDE

Selene says: “a mí nunca, a mí pues no me tocó esa etapa de la competencia” (me, never; I never experienced that competition phase) [2]. She has never sought fame: “I never thought I want to be famous or I want to. I think the passion and the love take me to that path, you know?” (I never thought I wanted to be famous, or that I wanted to… I think passion and love led me down that path.) [2]

Selene enjoys connecting with others: “lo que más amo del baile es la oportunidad de compartir” (what I love most about dancing is the opportunity to share) [2]. And she thanks the person who believed in her: “Y yo toda la vida le agradezco a él por haber creído en mí.” (And I thank him all my life for believing in me.) [2] On dance itself: “La danza yo creo que es la manera de expresión universal.” (Dance, I believe, is the universal form of expression.) — Selene, OH MY D!, December 2020 [2].

In SUMMARY: Selene Tovar

Six milestones mark her story.

  • Who: a dancer from Guadalajara with a background in music.
  • 2008: she starts dancing [2].
  • Around 2010: the duo with Rodrigo Cortazar [2][4].
  • 2011: a class with Franklin Diaz in New York [2].
  • After the duo: a break, New York, a bootcamp that revives her solo career, then Just For You [2].
  • Today: Mambo, New York, a duo with Fernando Azúa [1][3].

Studio24’s artistic REFERENCES

Selene’s journey crosses paths with artists you can find on this blog. Franklin Diaz first, with whom she takes a class in New York in 2011 [2]. Rodrigo Cortazar next, her duo partner.

According to the page for her Bucharest workshop, she has collaborated with Eddie Torres, Franklin Diaz and Rodrigo Cortazar [3]. And at the 2025 Fusion Salsa Fest, she shares the lineup with Karel Flores [3].

Learn SALSA and MAMBO in Liège and online

The Mambo and Salsa that Selene Tovar dances draw on the same foundations that Xavier Colina teaches at Studio24: Salsa On1, in the tradition of Fernando Sosa, and Mambo On2, in the tradition of Eddie Torres and Adolfo Indacochea. Whether you’re in Liège or anywhere in the French-speaking world, you can begin this same progression.

In Liège, Salsa On1 is danced on Tuesdays and Mambo On2 on Mondays: both offer Introductory at 6:30 pm, Basics+ at 7:30 pm, Intermediate at 8:30 pm. After about a year of practice, it’s time for the Advanced level on Thursdays: Mambo On2 at 6:30 pm, Salsa On1 at 7:30 pm. Everywhere else, Studio Live offers video classes you can follow at your own pace.

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FAQ: all about SELENE TOVAR

🌎 Who is SELENE TOVAR?

Selene Tovar, from Guadalajara, is a Mexican dancer with a background in music. She starts dancing in 2008, forms a duo around 2010 with Rodrigo Cortazar, then continues solo and now lives in New York [1][2].

📅 Since when has she danced with Rodrigo Cortazar?

Around 2010. Selene says “we started 2010”; Rodrigo remembers an event with her in New York, which he dates to around 2010 [2][4]. No ending year is given.

🏆 Is Selene Tovar a world champion?

Nothing indicates that she is. Selene says she never experienced the competition phase [2].

🎓 Who are SELENE TOVAR’s teachers?

Miguel Ángel Castillo, “Miguelito,” with whom she starts, then Franklin Diaz, whose class she takes in New York in 2011 [2].

🤝 Who does SELENE dance with on stage?

Before Rodrigo Cortazar, she says she had two partners, including Rubén, with whom she starts in workshops. She then dances with, among others, Rodrigo Cortazar, continues solo, then forms a duo with Fernando Azúa, called “Selene & Fernando” [2][3].

🎭 What is LOS ANORMALES?

A group of dancer friends, born out of love for their colleagues, according to Selene. It is not the name of the duo [2].

✂️ What are “CORTES”?

It is the name Selene gives to a style she says she popularized with Rodrigo, based on playing with the music [2].

📍 Where can you find her?

Selene Tovar lives in New York, according to the Croatian Summer Salsa Festival page [1]. She was on the lineup at Fusion Salsa Fest in Mexico City, from October 1 to 5, 2025 [3].

🎓 Want to dance SALSA? Where should you start?

In Liège: first trial class for 10€, no reservation needed. Tuesdays are for Salsa On1; Mondays for Mambo On2: both offer Introductory at 6:30 pm, Basics+ at 7:30 pm and Intermediate at 8:30 pm. On Thursdays, the Advanced level (about a year of practice) includes Mambo On2 at 6:30 pm and Salsa On1 at 7:30 pm. Practice at evening events at Puerto Rico Nights. Worldwide: Studio Live — +300 HD lessons, 7-day free trial.

Xavier Colina — Salsa On1, Mambo On2 and Bachata teacher, Studio24 Liège

About the author

Xavier Colina teaches Salsa On1, Mambo On2 and Bachata at Studio24 in Liège (Belgium) and online through Studio Live. Trained in the direct lineage of Eddie Torres → Adolfo Indacochea (World Mastery program), Fernando Sosa and Korke y Judith. Learn more →

Sources & Bibliography

  1. ↩ Croatian festival page : CROATIAN SUMMER SALSA FESTIVAL. Selene Tovar at CSSF 2026 [online]. Available at: https://www.crosalsafestival.com/2026/artists/instructors/selene-tovar [accessed October 25, 2026]. Note: the festival’s introductory text; it places Selene in Guadalajara, says she started with music, and that she lives in New York.
  2. ↩ Selene Tovar speaks: interviews (2020-2024) : OH MY D!, 2020. Excelente Bailarina MEXICANA de SALSA Selene Tovar [online]. OH MY D!, December 22, 2020. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NTNExjaoFI [accessed October 25, 2026]. Note: interview in Spanish; excerpts [00:15], [00:42], [00:53], [01:03], [01:27], [01:32], [02:06], [02:43], [03:10], [03:24], [03:30], [03:33], [04:04], [04:18], [04:20], [04:30], [04:43], [06:00], [09:12], [11:20], [13:51], [14:21], [17:31].
    LA VIEJA Y LA NUEVA, 2022. Selene Tovar en La Vieja y La Nueva [online]. La Vieja y La Nueva, July 7, 2022. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJF0QsGWe7w [accessed October 25, 2026]. Note: interview in Spanish; excerpts [01:35], [02:22], [04:00], [08:12], [09:11], [09:56], [12:09], [13:44], [14:19], [14:48], [24:05].
    FUSIÓN SALSAFEST, 2023. TB8: Pasión, superación y diversidad: Selene Tovar y Fernando Azua sobre el mundo de la salsa y mas [online]. Fusión Salsafest, July 4, 2023. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-eP7VsFqRc [accessed October 25, 2026]. Note: interview in Spanish with Selene Tovar and Fernando Azúa; excerpts [08:03], [09:30], [09:36], [09:56], [11:03], [24:09], [24:25], [41:54], [60:38], [60:57], [61:09], [77:26], [90:54].
    ELSOL FESTIVAL, 2024. Interview with Selene Tovar for elSol 2024 [online]. elSol festival, April 12, 2024. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfPMNFgATVs [accessed October 25, 2026]. Note: interview in English; excerpts [02:04], [22:03].
    Note: translations of the Spanish and English quotations are by the author of the article.
  3. ↩ Fusión Salsa Fest 2025 and Bucharest conference : AZSALSA. Fusion Salsa Fest, Mexico City [online]. Available at: https://azsalsa.net/fusion-salsa-fest/ [accessed October 25, 2026]. Note: the festival took place from October 1 to 5, 2025, in Mexico City; the lineup lists Karel Flores, Rodrigo Cortazar, Selene Tovar and “Selene & Fernando.”
    CASA DEL BAILE. Salsa Musicality Training with Selene Tovar [online]. Available at: https://www.casadelbaile.com/event-details/salsa-musicality-training-with-selene-tovar [accessed October 25, 2026]. Note: workshop on May 25, 2024, in Bucharest; the page says Selene has collaborated with Eddie Torres, Franklin Diaz and Rodrigo Cortazar.
  4. ↩ Rodrigo Cortazar talks about their duo (2026) : SALSA CONTROLL, 2026. Rodrigo Cortazar Habla del Ego, la Crítica y el Crecimiento Personal [online]. Salsa Controll, August 3, 2026. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUj9qxu52eg [accessed October 25, 2026]. Note: interview in Spanish; excerpts [16:26], [17:48]. Rodrigo dates the class taken with Franklin Diaz at a congress in New York to around 2010 (“Creo que sí fue 2010”); Selene dates her arrival in New York and her class with him to 2011 (note 2). Both recollections are presented as given, without choosing between them.

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