Maricza Valentín, CEO and Artistic Director of Chicago’s Latin Rhythms & Latin Rhythms Dance Companies, has been studying dance for 29 years, and teaching for 26 years. In 1998 Maricza earned her BA in Dance from Columbia College. Maricza co-founded her own Latin dance company in 1999, Latin Rhythms Dance Company (LRDC). In August of 2000, Maricza expanded the success of LRDC by co-founding a dance studio in Chicago, Latin Rhythms Academy of Dance & Performance (LRADP).
Today, Valentín runs a 4,500 square-foot studio in Chicago’s West Loop. Over the course of 22 successful years, the studio has trained thousands of everyday students, teachers, and professional dancers, many of whom have developed into esteemed performers. They have created six performance teams in several disciplines, with students who come back in flocks year after year for the opportunity to be trained by Latin Rhythms faculty. As the Artistic Director of two of Chicago’s strongest Latin dance companies, Maricza has proven herself as a connoisseur of choreography, in addition to her reputable teaching accomplishments. She is Co-Artistic Director of the Chicago International Salsa Congress. Maricza was also one of the top 24 finalist in Season One of So You Think You Can Dance.