Director/Founder/Dance Instructor -   Maria Espinoza

Classes Available

Salsa On1, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha, Merengue, Guajira, Private Lessons

» Please see the Calendar page for which classes are currently offered.

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Contact Maria

Have a question? Email Maria.

Biography

I have been dancing for over 25 years and teaching for 7 years.  My experience is with Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Guajira, and Cha Cha Cha and have taught all ages of students.

Dream/Vision

Maria was born in New York to a Puerto Rican mother and a Peruvian father.  As a Child she was always intrigued with the arts.

In elementary school, she started taking classes in Ballet and Tap and entered herself in many talent shows where she could express her love for dance. Later, in High School, Maria started using her talent in creating dance patterns and was captain of her dance team crew.  As the years passed by, other responsibilities forced her to put her dream and love for dance aside, but she never lost that love and passion for dance.

In 2002, Maria relocated to Florida and decided that is was time for her to get back to what she loved to do.  It was at this time that Maria started training with Simone Salsa Dance and later on became an instructor for that school. She taught for Simone Salsa Dance School for 7 years and started the Brandon Site of the school with O'Neil Brown, where they were the lead instructors.  Maria also created and implemented a Latin Festival/Open House every year during this time for Hispanic Heritage Month and has participated in other events including workshops at the State Fair Grounds.

After many years of being an instructor, Maria decided it was time to live out her dream which was to open a school of the arts, where anyone could go and learn an art and find their outlet in life and feel free.

Being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis back in 2003, Maria realized that dancing had saved her life!  "The feeling inside of you when you are able to free yourself and be you is beyond words.  It is a way of healing yourself in which I feel no other medicine can do for you."  Maria wanted to be able to share this passion with the rest of the world and make the world aware of how important and beautiful it is for a person to find whatever it is that frees them up inside.