Photography: Shea Cooper
Artist Statement
I am an interdisciplinary dancer, artist, and choreographer interested in how dance can create community, foster awareness, and further become more inclusive to all. My work spans multiple dance aesthetics and styles, including but not limited to: contemporary, modern, jazz, hip hop, tap, Latin styles, and more; I aim to combine styles and draw from my own heritage as a Costa Rican creator. My most personal and individual work aims to bring awareness to Latin American stories and experiences. Through acceptance, collaboration, conversation, and dancing, I also create stories, movement, and ensemble pieces that inspire and are inspired by people coming together to create work that will speak to others, bring awareness, create conversation, or simply bring enjoyment and togetherness to audiences and dancers. I encourage dancers to find their own uniqueness and sense of self without excluding anyone, and to find how their own traits help others and any group they are part of and will become part of.
Teaching Philosophy
My biggest goal as a teacher is to create a class environment that is safe, inviting, and globally minded, one that encourages and invites learning from mistakes, humor and laughter, risk-taking, curiosity, and experimentation. My teaching emphasizes, groundedness, transitions, cleanliness, musicality, and most importantly developing dancer’s artistry. Drawing from my background in modern, jazz, ballet, tap, improvisation, and street styles, I am equiped to teach any of these styles while adapting them to meet a range of technical levels and needs. I value versatility and how all of these forms interconnect both historically and physically. What sets me apart is my ability to shift fluidly between teaching, sharing, and learning from my students. My goal is to cultivate and guide artists who not only move with skill, but also with intention, passion, and confidence.
Photography: Ben Viatori