About

I create spaces for students of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience to participate in the journey of dance. Like slow food and other such movements that call us back to the joys of process and to the riches of tradition, dance invites us to discover what it means to know ourselves and our worlds through our bodies and through the craft and artistry of dance performance.

My ongoing study, teaching, and practice is rooted in the African-based dances of Cuba and contemporary dance. I have over two decades of experience as an educator working with all ages and levels of experience, including K-12, university, pre-professional, and professional dance programs. I offered ongoing Cuban Salsa classes to the community for over 15 years, creating a beloved and enduring dance family affectionately known as SalsaBliss.

Recent residencies and commissions include a dance film project for Barnard College and a culminating concert for the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) on behalf of Ballet Hispanico’s Cuban Dance Summer Intensive. Previous projects include performances for the Bronx River Alliance, the Children’s Museum of the Arts, and work as consultant, choreographer, and guest performer for Areytos Performance Works presented at the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture. I served as a consultant/coach for the Ballet Hispanico Dance Company in preparation for an Afro-Cuban inspired work.

I currently teach a course on Afro-Cuban dance at Barnard College (see overview and student reflections here), in addition to teaching for the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s DanceAfrica in the classroom program. I am a former faculty member of Ballet Hispanico’s pre-professional division and a frequent guest lecturer in the dance program at Princeton. I have conducted several residences and workshops for local programs, including Rutgers, Sarah Lawrence, the Master’s School, and the Lexington School for the Deaf. I am passionate about sharing dance with students at all stages of their artistic development, and believe that a healthy dance education upholds multiple aesthetics equally, exposing students to diverse cultural perspectives on beauty and artistry.

I received my initial training in modern and ballet from the Alvin Ailey American Dance center followed by over two decades of study in Cuba and New York. My approach to teaching is informed by a wide range of movement practices, including contemporary and modern dance, somatic practices, healing arts, and classical ballet. My teaching philosophy and mission are deeply inspired by the cultural, spiritual, and artistic education of my studies in Cuba.

Prior to starting my professional journey with dance, I received an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, and later after 6 years of teaching, an interdisciplinary master’s degree from NYU. I continue to explore the intersection of philosophy, neuroscience, dance, culture, and healing.