CTS Teachers and Crew

CTS Teachers | Certification Group | CTS Crew

CTS Teachers

Robin Denise Johnson, Ph.D. (aka Dr. Robin, RJ)

CTS Workshop Instructor, CTS Developer-Choreographer, Producer CTS and Cardio-Tribal Belly Dance Workout Videos

I dance and the world disolves into the wholeness it always was.

I love the energy and world music grooves that are expressed through fusion dance styling. Although I’ve been dancing socially all my life, I found my dance home with Goddess dancing in the 80s, and my dance sisters with belly dance in SoCal in my 40s. My intent is to help women of a certain age remember their joy of healthy movement throughout their entire lives – regardless of size or background.

I’ve been teaching CTS for over a decade, was director of Troupe Mélangées for 7 years, and am now directing Zaltana. I was also a certified Zumba Gold instructor – a low-impact version of Zumba using world music and moves that was designed for people over 50. In addition to studio teaching, I have taught at the Pomona Valley Hospital Center, Scripps College in Claremont, and aboard cruise ships. With Zaltana and Troupe Mélangées, I have performed all over California at community events, fundraisers and renaissance festivals.

My dance teachers-influencers-inspiration include Aziza Sa’id, Mesmera, Paulette Rees-Denis, Amy Sigil (ITS), and Jill Parker in the MENAHT tradition, Gabrielle Roth, and my ballroom and Argentine Tango teachers through the years. I have a general skills certification in American Tribal Style – ATS – bellydance from Carolena Nericcio of Fat Chance Belly Dance. And I received my certificates for completion of Phase I: Initiation into the 8 Elements by Rachel Brice (the Datura Method) in 2016, completed Phase II Cultivation in 2017, and attended Phase III: Culmination in 2017. In the other part of my life, I am an author (Dance of Leadership where I apply leader-follower principles from CTS dance to leadership in organizations), business school professor, executive life coach and intercultural-diversity consultant.

Cardio Team Style (CTS) dance is a combination-based workout system designed to help people of all ages, fitness levels, body types and music styles have fun, get fit, and express their inner dancer! I’m the producer of the CTS workout videos, and I choreograph CTS combinations and Zaltana performances. Because of my travel and work schedule, I teach CTS dance only in workshops in the SoCal area or online.

Pam Coleman (aka Aeron Sa’id)

Master CTS Dance Teacher (in person and online)

After abdominal surgery in 2009, my doctor suggested belly dance, yoga or Pilates as a form of recovery. I was interested in belly dance so I was happy for the excuse to do something I had always wanted to try. So, I started belly dance classes. I am a member of the house of Sa’id – the name we gave many SoCal dancers taught and mentored by Aziza Sa’id in a range of MENAHT styles. Robin, also an Aziza protégé, and I met not long after and we clicked. For almost a decade we’ve been dancing together.

I am a certified CTS teacher and teach the Cardio-Team-Style (CTS) Workout, CTS Core, and CTS Intense Classes at Source Studio in Riverside, CA. I co-facilitate CTS workshops with Robin in Southern CA for dancers who are interested in learning and getting certified in CTS. In addition to being influenced by Robin’s style, my training also includes Phases I (Initiation) and II (Cultivation) of Rachel Brice’s 8 Elements Program. I also studied a more modern-fusion style of Tribal belly dance with Meredith Marie of Circata, and Sashi of Ascend Tribal and am co-director of Belly Trance.

CTS Certification Group

The dancers below are have demonstrated their ability to follow the CTS Core and CTS Intense Workouts, and have the General Skills Certification required to lead the CTS Core Workout:

• Ambar Villamar
• Brooke Villamar
• Claudia Madrigal
• “D” Haynes
• Ingrid White
• Deborah Lewis
• Angelica Mendoza
• Tina Theophilos
• Moira Wilkie
• Tina Stormont
• Debra Savitt

For more about CTS Certification, click HERE.

About the CTS Crew

The CTS Crew is an informal collection of CTS dancers and students. Students from Pam’s Core and Intense classes, Tribal Beats’ CTS-based students, CTS workout students, and ex-Troupe Mélangées members from the past couple of decades all participate with the CTS Crew.

When a party (hafla) is scheduled, we send out an invitation to all of them to join us if they’d like to perform either as a flash mob, or to do a cued choreography. If it’s a more formal event like the annual SoCal Cairo Shimmy Quake, we have required rehearsals before the performance.

Anyone who’s learning and practicing CTS is welcome to join in the fun!