Susie Nguyen, ranked 15th in the world by ESPN for her salsa dancing, is less than five feet tall, but her vivacious personality, ambition and entrepreneurialism have made her dancing career a notable success. Nguyen, once a sales executive, quit her prosperous career four years ago to begin Ooh La La Dance Company, located in the La Jolla YMCA Firehouse at 7877 Herschel Ave. “I wanted to bring dance to the La Jolla community and beyond,” said Nguyen, a Bird Rock resident who teaches people of all ages and skill levels, often fusing vintage burlesque with modern Latin dance. The daughter of conservative Vietnamese parents, Nguyen wasn’t necessarily encouraged to pursue dancing during her youth. “I started out as a cheerleader … and a horrible dancer,” said Nguyen. “But I kept with it. I helped put myself through college with scholarships for cheerleading and dance.” A graduate of San Diego State University, she went on to study under a choreographer of the popular TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.” In February, Nguyen and her dance company were selected to participate in a private audition for “America’s Got Talent,” which they are practicing for. Nguyen and the eight dance teams of Ooh La La Dance Company perform at Spin Nightclub in Old Town on the fourth Wednesday of every month (free before 10 p.m.) and Sway nightclub downtown at The Keating Hotel every Tuesday (free before 8:30 p.m.). To raise money for costumes and travel, including the upcoming Big Apple Salsa Festival in New York, Ooh La La will hold a car wash March 20 at the Walgreens at 3005 Midway Drive. For those interested in taking a group or private lesson for fun, exercise, socialization or professional or instructional training, a class schedule is viewable at www.oohlaladancecompany.com. Most classes cost around $15 for a two-hour lesson and are open to the public. For the love of the shimmy Dance has always been a large part of Vilia Bouilly’s life. Growing up, Bouilly took ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop classes, and eventually began teaching. When her studio began offering belly-dancing classes, Bouilly was drawn to the rich Middle Eastern culture and music. Now a member of the Arabina Dance Company, Bouilly has been performing belly dancing locally for more than three years. The company has entered and won three competitions, including the Long Beach Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition last month. “All of our dancers come from different backgrounds and levels of dance,” said Bouilly. “We all have day jobs, ranging from a school bus driver and an architect, to a massage therapist and a pharmaceutical lab researcher.” Bouilly teaches belly dancing classes at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The eight-week sessions are open to the public and are suitable for all age groups and experience levels. She also holds a class for beginner and intermediate belly dancers at the La Jolla YMCA Firehouse, located at 7877 Herschel Ave., on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. For performances, visit www.arabinadance.com. A lifelong master of dance Hearan Chung has been dancing for 44 years. Known as a master in various fields of Korean dance, including court, folk and creative dance, she began lessons at the age of five. She also studied ballet and modern dance, and went on to major in dance at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Artistic director of the Northern California Korean Dance Association, Chung followed her children, both UCSD students, from San Francisco to La Jolla last year. “I noticed that San Diego didn’t have as many dance performances or activities,” said Chung. “While searching online for opportunities, I found the Nations of San Diego International Dance Festival, and got in contact with them to audition.” The festival served as Chung’s San Diego debut in January, where she performed a dance portraying a playful interaction between a shaman and a little girl’s soul that refuses to go to heaven. In 2006, Chung was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award, also known as the “Izzies,” which honor Bay-area dance professionals. She has choreographed more than 48 works during her career, and said she is currently resting and working on choreography for her next performance.