Wayne Melton was a competitive salsa dancer and dance instructor from the South Bay Area. Wayne had a background in competitive roller skating, in which he holds numerous national titles. He performed on with some of the top salsa teams in the Bay Area, and has competed and performed at salsa congresses around the world.
Wayne won numerous titles at top salsa competitions around the country, including the US Salsa Open Championships and Portland Salsa Congress, competing with his dance partner, Helen Vazquez. He also taught salsa lessons alongside Ricki Anaya and also offered private salsa instruction, specializing in lifts & tricks as well as basic salsa technique.
Unfortunately, Wayne passed away in 2016 due to cancer. His competitive spirit and positive spirit will forever be missed by the Bay Area salsa community.
Hi Wayne,
I was the announcer at the national roller skating championships for 40 yrs and taught for 44yrs
at the roll-land skating rink in norwood ma, remember announcing your name althru your career
congrats on your making on the list. I am a close friend of David Tass, still see him a couple of times a month. good luck on moving up the list.
Paul McNeil
Wow you look fabulous! What a hottie!
Hi Wayne,
I have yet to find any dance instructor that will ever rival him. He took me from 3 left feet to dancing so elegantly on the floor that followers come up to me and ask me to dance. Its been an absolute honor to be able to share the same floor with this gem of a teacher. Plus, not only has he taught me world-class technique, but he got to feel the music and connection.
I will always recommend him with the strongest of terms. It’s an absolute blast learning from him. I’ll keep coming back for years to come.
Wayne is my private salsa instructor and every Monday he inspires me to dance to the best of my ability. His technique is clean and an evolved form from his skating days. Beyond technique he’s a wise soul who always finds a way to make the dancer understand what he or she needs to do to get to the next level.
Wayne doesn’t charge a lot for his lessons and makes exceptions for students who are in a bit more of a financial strain because he just likes to dance and teach.
My dancing has noticeably improved after I started taking lessons with him, with a focus on proper technique over pattern memorization.
Thought I’d check up and see how/what you are doing…Salsa! I agree with what your dance students say. You are a great teacher. Glad to see you are such a success…skating must miss you. You brought home champions. I’ll tell the ‘kids’ what you are doing. Take care kiddo.