David Olarte

David Olarte stands as one of Arizona’s foremost salsa dance teachers, wielding an impressive pedigree as an instructor. As a Dancing Lecturer at ASU’s School of Film, Dance, and Theatre, he leads Latin dance courses including Salsa, Mambo, Bachata, and Cha-cha-cha.

With a Master’s Degree in Dance earned from ASU in 2016, David is  currently pursuing a PhD at ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Spanning back to 2001, David has diligently refined his Latin dance craft through extensive Mambo & Salsa training, setting a solid foundation for his outstanding dance career.

At ASU, he’s catalyzed initiatives such as the ASU Latin Sol Dance Festival—a celebrated annual event featuring top-tier national salsa and mambo instructors, where ASU students learn and get inspired, and where the external Arizona salsa dancing community is also welcomed.

David’s contributions to the dance sphere have garnered him numerous recognitions. He has been featured as dance workshop instructor and performer at national and international salsa congresses.

His impact in the Phoenix salsa scene extends beyond academia, co-producing the weekly Latin Night at the Duce, while also leading ASU Salsa Socials on Campus. He has been featured instructor and key supporter of the AZSalsa.net’s weekly social Tumbao Latin Fridays since its beginnings in 2007.

Contact: david.olarte@asu.edu