Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Michael Cruz studied dance and theatre at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States. He is trained in jazz, multiple latin styles and stage performance.

Dance, if allowed to be, can be a magnificent tool for those looking to be ever more present. Although the traditional approach to meditation relies on the idea that calming the body calms the mind, Michael practices the direct connection between the mind, body and soul through the exploration of rhythm in order to reach a meditative state.

In this class, Michael will first facilitate the individual’s understanding of their own, unique body through stretching, and body part isolations. Then he will conduct several rhythmic exercises as a way of taking the mind out of the structure of rhythm and reaching a state of listening through the body. Finally, the group will make the connection between body movement and rhythm through active spatial explorations.

This class is not only a fun workout to latin music but also an opportunity to be fully present with others. Since Michael’s approach is not to teach the perfecting of any particular dance technique, the class is open to people of all skill levels.

The main goal of the class is to DANCE LIKE NOBODY’S WATCHING!