Fariseo
de lA Cruz
Instructor / Animador / Choreographer /
Dance Coach for Internationally-Recognized Dance Teachers
Fariseo
de lA Cruz
Instructor / Animador / Choreographer /
Dance Coach for Internationally-Recognized Dance Teachers
AnNa- MAria
Holistic Wellness Practitioner & Coach
Dance Student & Mother
Boston, MA
Joined the Movement: 2023
Anna-Maria D’Cruz and her three sons attended their first Salsa in the Park event together in June 2023. They enjoyed the experience so much that they became regular participants in our free outdoor events and soon signed up to become MetaMovements Dance Ambassadors, welcoming people at the events and helping them feel comfortable joining in. Anna-Maria and her boys are continuing their training this winter, and they are already looking forward to next summer’s events in Boston where they hope to help many new attendees learn the basics of salsa so they can feel supported and comfortable as they take their first steps.
When we asked Anna-Maria why joining our movement has been so meaningful for her family, here’s what she had to say:
"I am a single mama to three boys, and all of us felt so welcomed by the community. The kids felt so included and valued that it’s made it easy for us to come dance as a family.
MetaMovements cultivates a truly intergenerational space and recognizes each member of their community as having a unique role to play. I love how accessible these events make it for beginning dancers to come join the community."
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"Dancing with MetaMovements has been medicine for me and my kids. Personally and interpersonally, physically, and spiritually,... I have felt more embodied in my dancing in a few months with MetaMovements than I did in years of previous dance training.
According to my eight year old son, MetaMovements events make him feel more free... and that's an incredible thing!"
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Their Perspective as Students and Community Members:
Anna-Maria: MetaMovements' instruction is unparalleled. Each dance is placed in the context of the culture, people, and history it represents, with deep respect and an understanding that we have a responsibility to uphold these stories and keep these traditions alive. In a society where art is often commercialized and mass-produced, gathering to dance for the sake of dancing, to use our bodies to express rather than produce, is a radical act.
The inclusivity of the MM community is also an act of resistance: nobody is told they cannot dance, and everybody is encouraged to participate as their full, true selves, without judgment. ​It’s been an incredible gift to me and my kids to be welcomed into the MetaMovements ecosystem, and we love growing here!
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Niko, age 8: I enjoy dancing with community, learning and playing congas and other instruments. It’s really fun. I like dancing with my brothers. We are having a really fun experience learning lots of different dances. I think my mama is really happy when she dances.
Iggy, age 8: I like the MM community; spending time with others dancing and feeling our community. When I dance I feel joy in my body.
Lukie, age 10: I liked learning to dance salsa, and Latin music. I started listening to a lot more Latin music since I started dancing, and I make playlists for myself and my family.
