Educational Background/Training

Stephanie Metzger, Executive Director and Founder of Inspira Dance, began as a Ballroom dancer and fell in love with Bachata when she moved to the Dominican Republic. She trained in Salsa On2 and Bachata in Santo Domingo, and shortly after moved to Cali, Colombia – the Salsa capital of the world. There she trained in Salsa Caleña, Salsa On1, and Bachata at Salsa Pura. She frequently returns to Colombia to teach Bachata workshops with local artists, and most recently taught dance workshops in Guatemala. Stephanie has her Master’s Degree in Bilingual Education, and B.S. in World Language Education (Spanish, K-12).

She was awarded Best Female Dance Instructor of 2019 by DCBX, and has presented at various education conferences such as ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) and VDOE (Virginia Department of Education) about incorporating culture, language, dance, and history into classrooms.  Stephanie has taught at The Salsa Room (TSR), Bachata Brunch, Interfusion Festival, Capital Congress, Salsa with Silvia, Mr. Mambos, Crown Dance Studio, Penn State, and a variety of other organizations.

Stephanie is honored to work with a variety of other incredible dance artists on the Inspira team to accomplish this mission. For full information on our artists’ diverse backgrounds, dance styles, and educational experiences please click the following link:  https://www.inspiradanceinc.com/meet-the-team

About the Artist/Ensemble

Inspira Dance works to spread the love of these dances, by bringing their culture, history, and movement into schools, nonprofits, and community spaces. The core of our mission is to make sustainable, high-quality dance programs accessible for students of all ages.

We host a variety of adult dance classes through partnerships with local businesses, and these community programs directly fund some of our student programs. We are a community-based organization, working to make dance an integral part of our community spaces. The name Inspira comes from the Spanish word “Inspirar” – to inspire. It acknowledges the history of this organization in providing Latin dance programs for students and our desire to have our community come together to inspire the next generation of dancers.

Educational Program Description

Inspira Dance focuses primarily on elevating partner/social dances and street dances in a multitude of spaces. We offer dance workshops, performances, residencies, professional development, and a variety of student/adult programs. All of these incorporate the culture and history of each dance, along with social-emotional curriculum. Our offerings can be adapted to a variety of ages, abilities, settings, and languages (Spanish/Portuguese). We love working with different organizations to find the best fit for their goals and community.

Some examples of the dance styles we offer include:

Partner Dances

• • Latin Dance:
    Salsa, Bachata, Zouk, Cumbia, and Merengue.
  • Country Dance:
    Two-Step, Line Dancing, El Paso, and Country Swing.
  • Swing Dance:
    East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, and Lindy Hop.
  • Ballroom:
    Waltz, Jive, Rumba, Quickstep, Cha Cha, and Rumba.

Street Dances

• Hip Hop, Krump, Breaking, Step, and House

Fees

*Fees are negotiable and depend upon the size and scope of the service. 

Audiences

• All Ages