Teacher

Jonia Queen

Jonia McClenney has performed in many major Samba groups in the Los Angeles area for great jobs such as dancing with “Girls from Ipanema” for the legend, Aretha Franklin, in her concerts in the Hollywood Bowl, Fox Theater in Detroit, Energy Theater in Detroit, and Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas. She also danced for “Extravadancers,” performing with them for amazing artists like Sergio Mendes Concerts at the Hollywood Bowl and “Seu Jorge” and “Bebel Gilberto” at the Hollywood Bowl. Her love and respect for Dance and the Performing Arts has transferred to her love for Samba and other Brazilian Dances/ Art Forms, which led her to start her own dance company, Raiz Brazil Dance Company. In February of 2008, her dance company had their debut in the Sambala Carnival Ball. For the past 5 years, Jonia has also been studying the Brazilian ballroom dance, “Samba de Gafieira,” which she has performed for the past 2 years. She always loved this partnering style and it is what inspired her to go back to Brazil to continue to study and learn as much as she can about it. Jonia also has won some titles and Samba competitions in Los Angeles. In 2001 she won 2nd Princess of the Drums for “Mila Samba School,” and in 2008 she won the Samba competition for the “Queen of the Drums” (“Rainha da Bateria”) of Sambala Samba School. She kept this title for 4 years, and was honored to represent Sambala as the “Queen of the Drums.” Recently, in March of 2014, she won the contest for “Samba Queen of the San Diego Brazil Carnival 2014”, and was elected the ”Santa Barbara Carnival Queen 2014.” In 2015, Jonia was honored for being chosen to be the “Hollywood Carnival Queen 2015” by the Los Angeles Culture Festival Organization. The treasure she gained from being Queen was bringing the joy and soul of Carnival not only from Brazil, but from the 40 different countries represented in the parade on Hollywood Blvd in June 2015. Jonia has been teaching Samba and Brazilian Dances for over 10 years.