Viva Montana Festival 2025 Performers

Originally from Peru and raised in Argentina, Veronica Nelson has called Bozeman home since 2004. She first discovered salsa dancing in Patagonia in 1996 while earning her degree in Wildlife Biology and has been teaching, performing, and promoting Latin dance ever since.

Veronica brings decades of experience to her classes, staying current in the Latin dance world by traveling to conferences and workshops across the Americas. In addition to dance, she has shared her passion for Zumba, Spanish, and birding throughout the community, making her a beloved and versatile instructor.  Learn more about Veronica! 

Penelope's facilitation style is exhilarating, contagiously vigorous, yet gentle and reflective. Building community in dance is a big love of hers. Driven by her JOD (joy of dance) and in spite of all sorts of obstacles, she never stopped dancing. For her, dance is a matter of life and death. Penelope is a mixed race city girl from Bogotá who grew up steeped in the rich cultural sancocho that is her country. From a tender age, her body always felt the ancestors moving through her when Afro Diasporic rhythms were playing. From a very young age she found herself excelling as a dancer. As an expat since 2000 on Montana soil, she has kept her life's juices flowing by becoming a student of West African Dance and DJ'ing World Afro Fusion dance events. 

Jennifer is a Latin dance and flamenco instructor based in Missoula and the Arts Coordinator for Viva Montana! With over 20 years of experience, she has taught in public schools, universities, and community settings across the U.S. and abroad. A performer and educator, Jennifer is passionate about building an inclusive, vibrant dance culture that honors the roots of the styles she loves.

Learn more about Jennifer!

Son Montaña is a local Missoula band, blending the Montana acoustic folk vibe of bluegrass and country with the acoustic folksy Caribbean rhythms of Cuban Son and Rumba. LEARN MORE!

Munayki Peru presents Latin Folkore Fusion:  Dancing to celebrate the  fusion of traditional styles with contemporary styles of latin dance to  represent our ever evolving immigrant identities. Evelyn Paz Solis and Laura Gabriela Galvez Mencarelli de Fairbanks are performing Morenada and festejo which are dances from Peru, and a Latin Folkore fusion dance to Calle 13.

Our dance group Munayki–Latin Folklore Fusion originated from our Latin American origins and our ever-changing identities. We fuse Latin American folklore with salsa, bachata and other magic. We hope you enjoy it! LEARN MORE!

Missoula Samba is a community group playing percussion-based styles of music from Rio de Janeiro (samba batucada) and Salvador (samba reggae). The music is traditionally played during carnival parades throughout Brazil and can be heard throughout Brazil. The bateria (percussion ensemble) is made up of a number of different instruments, including surdos (bass drums played with mallets), caixa (snare drum), repenique, tamborim, chocalho, and agogo bell.  Founded in 2024 with support from Arts Missoula, Missoula Samba performs at community events, offers public classes, and brings educational clinics to local schools. LEARN MORE!

Sin Rumbo - An argentine tango quartet playing golden age tango music for dancers and music lovers. Their high energy music is creative and fun, with traditional, complex tango rhythms.  The quartet consists of Patrick Marsolek on Bandoneon, Paula Jones on Piano, Janet Allison on Violin and Carla Green on Bass. LEARN MORE!

At 72, Jeannie Butler is a proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose passion for dance has been with her since childhood. She has trained in ballet, jazz, flamenco, and has spent the past 12 years as a Zumba instructor, inspiring people of all ages to move with joy. Jeannie’s journey has been marked by resilience—after the loss of her son, the passing of her mother, and surviving a stroke, she returned to dance, finding healing and renewal through music and movement. She believes dance is for everyone, no matter their age or health, and shares it with boundless love and energy. A lifelong horse lover and true survivor, Jeannie continues to inspire with her story, her strength, and her dance. At Viva Montana! she brings the vibrant traditions of Mexican Folklórico and a lively Zumba class to our community celebration. LEARN MORE.