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Maria Torres is an acclaimed choreographer and director with extensive experience in theater, film, and television, with a background in performance.
...Read moreMaria Torres is an acclaimed choreographer and director with extensive experience in theater, film, and television, with a background in performance.
As a performer, Maria graced both the Broadway stage and the silver screen, in such distinguished projects as the film Dance with Me starring Vanessa Williams, the hit six-time Tony nominated Broadway musical Swing!, Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth at the Public Theater, and of course gracing the stage at the legendary Radio City Music Hall.
Maria is proud to have worked with directors like Jerry Zaks, Diane Paulus, and Sergio Trujillo.
Behind the scenes, Maria is a two-time Cleo Award winner for her choreography and has worked with producers and directors at MTV, NBC, HBO, BBC and Walt Disney. Favorite choreography credits include: Lead Choreographer for Four Guys Named Jose (Lucille Lortel and Carbonelle award nominated for Best Choreography; produced by Enrique Iglesias), Associate Choreographer for the Oscar nominated film Enchanted, Contributing Choreographer and lead performer in Broadway’s Swing, and Associate Choreographer on showcase for Tony award winning In The Heights.
As guest choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance, Maria won two Choreography Festival Awards for her original pieces. As a director, Maria brings to life dance, theater, and musical acts, working with worldwide music icons like Don Omar and Enrique Iglesias, directing individual pieces like the finale number of the internationally-televised Latin Billboard Awards, and co-conceiving, choreographing and directing full length works including the Magic Of Salsa Kingdom and the Off-Broadway hit Latin Heat.
Maria is an Artist in Residence at The Rosetta LeNoire Amas Musical Theater, Proud Member of Society Directors and Choreographers, AEA, SAG/AFTRA and League of Professional Theatre Women.
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Class Descriptions
is an exciting dance style taught by Maria Torres with her unique flavor of technical Jazz skills and Ballet, while fusing the afro-Caribbean dance styles of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic among others.
Class begins with basic isolations intermixed with Cuban/Latin motions set in a traditional Jazz/Ballet structure, that works on student’s coordination, strength and flexibility. At this level students dance skills are assessed and challenged by incorporating authentic Latin dance movements with jumps and turns across the floor.
Dance combinations will strengthen dancers awareness of musicality, space, timing and precision, giving the freedom to execute flawless performances on or off stage. Proper dance attire is recommended along with jazz or character shoes.
Hustle is one of the last partner dances created in the US; a style that swept the nation after the debut of the movie Saturday Night Fever and quickly became one the most popular dances of that time! Re-discover one of the most popular social dances born from New York's own Latin community with Professional Choreographer Maria Torres (Dance with Me Film; SYTYCD; Swing on Broadway).