Kathleen Aquino

Kathleen is a professional trained dancer with a deep passion for Samba and Brazilian dance. She began her dance journey with strong training in Ballet and Jazz, later discovering a love for Dancehall and Hip Hop. Started dancing Samba in 2018, and has training intensively with Escola De Samba and Sashya since 2020 as part of the Passistas pro team and instructor team.

She studied a Bachelor of Dance from Excelsia College and has competed in Latin dance styles at events like the Bachata Festival and Sydney Salsa Mambo Convention. Kathleen has performed as a cheerleader for the Parramatta Eels and Canterbury Bulldogs, danced at Marquee Nightclub as a resident dancer, and paraded in the Sydney Mardi Gras.

A proud first generation Australian-Filipino, she grew up in a musical family—her mother performed on TV and radio in the Philippines. Outside of dance, Kathleen works as a Merchandise Planner for one of Australia’s biggest retailers.