MY BIGGEST REWARD AND MY PERSONAL STORY IS NOT ABOUT MYSELF BUT ABLUT HOW I WAS ABLE TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S LIVES THROUGH DANCING
Jennifer is the owner and ART director of iDance Miami. She teaches a wide variety of dancing styles from Hustle, Cha Cha, Tango, Swing, Mambo. Bolero, Rumba, Foxtrot, Waltz or any dance that requires a partner. All these dancer are ballroom dances and are considered an expression of ART.
ennifer was born in Costa Rica and she started dancing at the age of 5 years old, and when she was 6 years old, she told her mother she wanted to become a professional dance instructor. She knew even as a child, that dancing was going to be what she was going to do for the rest of her life. Jennifer moved to the United States and started her dancing path by doing a little cheerleading in High-school and after graduating, she moved to Arizona to become a certified Ballroom instructor. After her training as a certified instructor, she moved to different cities like Hawaii, Los Angeles and New York to grow as a dancer. She ended up in Las Vegas where she spent 8 years working at different dance studios including Delgado studio, that was ranked among the top 3 dance studios in the country for 4 years in a row while she worked there.
After Jennifer achieved excellence and recognition in the professional dance world, she worked with the TV show “Dancing with the Stars” for many years. She also danced and participated in concerts with Maroon Five and Jessica Simpson among others. After her life as a dancing star, Jennifer moved to Miami with a clear goal “to open her own dance studio”. With all the experience she gathered in Vegas, she brought to Miami a true “Vegas style” show and style of her own.
What is the most important part of being a dancer?
I think for me one of the most important realizations in my life was when I could see myself as a professional dancer. Dancing is my passion and I wanted to dance for a living, I wanted to follow my dreams. Most “dancers” do not follow their passion because of the money but I believe that real dancers don’t think about those things, they listen to their call and just go for it without being intimidated about the future.
I cannot think of what type of life would I have without dancing because dancing is the most important part of my life after my children and family. Dancing is the best way for me to express myself and also through dancing I teach others to express themselves and to develop into the dancer that already exist inside them. Through dancing I can bring the best out of myself and people.
So you are saying that through dancing you have been able to change the lives of others?
Absolutely and that is the reason why I do what I do, because nothing brings me more pleasure and happiness than to helping others through simply following my passion.
What are the difficulties you have faced in your dancing career and how did you overcome it?
Most of my dancer friends tell me that they don’t want to continue dancing because there is no money in dancing, because it is too hard to make it and it is not a real career. They say all kinds of things to me that honestly they just sound like excuses. But after all that nonsense I just keep dancing because when I don’t dance I’m just not fully happy.
Can anyone be a dancer or is it a gift you are born with?
I truly believe everyone can dance. I hear people saying “I have two left feet or I’m just not good at it” but anyone can dance. If you can walk you can dance! if you really have the desire to dance, you can be on a wheelchair and dance! You don’t have to be born in a culture or environment of dancing; It has to be born in you, you just have to have the desire to experience freedom.
What do you feel is more important when you dance, the connection with your partner or the connection with yourself?
I dance Ballroom and that is my specialty so the connection with a partner is essential and part of the style. However; you first need to learn how to connect with yourself, and once you are able to do this then you can connect with a partner and become one on the dancefloor. And that is a beautiful thing and a beautiful feeling.
What advice would you give to someone that wants to start dancing as an adult?
I grew up dancing but didn’t take Ballroom until I was 18. I remember people would say “you’re too old”. Someone once made a comment to me “the current ballroom champions from Italy started to dance at 3 years of age”; but that never stopped me or affected my choice to become a dancer. I know of dancers that started their careers at a very young age and later in life they never did anything with their dancing. So it is really a mental thing “You cannot let anyone tell you what is inside you and time shouldn’t be an important matter”.
It’s never too late to start! I remember 18 years ago when I had first gotten certified, I met a beautiful lady that worked at the same studio I did. She was 90 years old, she started dancing at 87 years of age and she went through all dancing certifications “Bronze, Silver, etc” and became a “Gold” student. She was dancing and working at the same time and she used to say that dancing kept her young. So you are never too old, it’s never too late to dance.
What do you think are the best moments in your career?
I have choreographed more than 100 weddings, quinceañeras and show choreographies but most of my best moments in my career are because of the students that I have had. I can tell you stories about the lives of students we have changed; students who have been through divorce, students wanting to lose weight, students on depression or simple people going to everyday life issues and we help them through dancing. My biggest reward and my personal story is not about myself but about how I was able to change people’s lives through dancing. The most important thing for me is to see people coming from medical conditions, physical conditions and many mental and emotional issues improving their lives because of dancing.
Dancing is life, dancing is health but most importantly a way to become the best version of yourself.
For private instruction and group lessons contact Jennifer:
(786) 344-2007
iDanceMiami.org
contact@idancemiami.org
IG @idance_miami
