Meet our Team!
The board of S.P.A.B. consists of Angèle Cecilia and Soekarsi Phelipa.
Dance Sensation Foundation, now S.P.A.B., is an initiative of Angèle Cecilia, president of the foundation. Her goal is to offer high-quality and well organized dance education to all target groups of every social class on Bonaire.
Angele Cecilia studied pedagogy in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Her daughter Imani has been her great inspiration to start DSF. Imani has a great passion for dance she couldn’t pursue after moving to Bonaire because of absence of dance schools. Angele saw this as an opportunity to offer Imani, but also other children with a passion for dance, a place where they can share and develop this passion. Therefore, she decided to start DSF.
Soekarsi herself danced for ten years doing ballet and jazz styles. Similarly to Angele, Soekarsi also felt that something had to be done to support dancers on Bonaire. Her daughter, Tharia who also loved to dance, also served as a motivation to contribute to this development on Bonaire.
These two power women form together the heart of the dance school and they bring it to a higher level each year.
Get to know our team!
Our instructors’ team consists of: Joëlla Ramos, Maria Guadalupe Picón Barrios, Maria Gabriela Picón Barrios, Keyuoma Abrahams, Semariël Marten, and Luiginio Molina.
Joëlla Ramos started as a child with gymnastics, violin, theater, and traditional African dance. When she was 11 years old, she started at the ‘havo for music and dance’, which she successfully completed. In 2014, she obtained her diploma at Codarts, a Bachelor in Dance in Education as a dancer and dance teacher. She has starred on tv, cruise ships, and different stages in Holland, Africa, and America. She also performed for three years in the beautiful Disney Musical ‘The Lion King’. Her passion is to combine travel with dance to broaden her horizon. Since 2018 she has been working at the S.P.A.B. as a teacher and coordinator which she does with lots of pleasure.
Maria Guadalupe Picón Barrios is a communication specialist and professional dancer. After dancing at S.P.A.B. for about 10 years, she was able to continue her dance studies in the U.S. while dancing for a dance company at the University of Louisiana Monroe. While dancing there, she gained experience in Ballet, Musical Theatre, Modern dance, Afro-Caribbean dance, and Jazz. She graduated with a bachelor in Modern Languages and Dance in 2020 and shortly after with a Master’s in Communication in 2022. Maria has been working at S.P.A.B since May 2023 as a dance teacher, marketing director, and coordinator.
Maria Gabriela Picón Barrios is a language specialist and a professional dancer. She was a student at S.P.A.B. for over ten years before she moved to the U.S. to continue her dance studies at the University of Louisiana at Monroe where she was part of their dance company. By being part of this, she learned and gained experience in Ballet, Modern, Musical Theater, Afro-Caribbean dance, Tap, and Jazz. She graduated successfully in 2022 and is now pursuing her master’s degree in Communication while teaching at S.P.A.B. and working with the marketing team.
Keyuoma Abrahams has been a dancer for 22 years. Her specialty are Hip Hop and Urban styles. Throughout her dance career, she has had the opportunity in different groups in Bonaire such as “BailAmores Centro de Danza,” “Kayenas,” “Performing group/Education Group.” Furthermore, Keyuoma was also a student at S.P.A.B for many years where she gained experience as a teacher assistant and entertainer as well. After her journey at S.P.A.B, she moved to the Netherlands to continue her studies. She gained experience in various dance styles and genres and also taught at “LA-Dancefactory” in Kesteren for two and a half years. Keyuoma has recently found her way back home and is now a part of our team as a dance teacher and entertainer. She is happy to be back and to teach the next generation.
Semariël Marten started taking singing and dance lessons as a toddler. Given the talent and skills she developed in these lessons, she began to give presentations as a singer, dancer, and actress when she was nine. She represented Bonaire in a musical performance during the Kunstbende of 2008, sang in 2009 the opening act during the concert of Percy Sledge in Curaçao, and in 2015 was the main act during the election of Miss Curaçao. Since she was 19 years old, Semariël has been releasing her own music, including her first and well known song “Lalala Love 4 You,” which she performed several times on the islands, but also in Holland and Miami. Semariël has been working S.P.A.B. since 2018 as a dance teacher and serves as a great source of inspiration for many of our students.
Luiginio Molina is a local artist and musician specialized in Krioyo music. He has been working since the beginning of 2022 at S.P.A.B. as a music teacher and serves as an inspiration for many kids, especially boys who look up to him for everything he has achieved in the music industry.
Our operations staff consist of: Sue-Amy Melaan and Marisol Vrolijk.
Sue-Amy A. Melaan is our office manager. Sue-Amy provides administrative and financial support, and coordinates the operations team. She adapts easily to changes and welcomes daily challenges. She is always striving for new ways to strengthen her skills while learning new ones along the way. She graduated with an International Management Assistant level 4 degree in 2022. Her ambition is to learn as much as she can and grow in her career.
Marisol Vrolijk is our project coordinator. She is committed to make a change in the community, by actively uniting the young and the elderly together in different projects. Projects to promote and enhance the culture of Bonaire thru dance, music and art. Marisol provides administrative support and offers overall leadership to the operations team. With a bachelor’s in Hospitality and Tourism Management she aims to provide the utmost service and quality with a smile.
