Joaquín García is an accomplished pianist, composer, and music director whose career bridges classical rigor and jazz innovation. A prodigious talent, he began winning regional percussion competitions at age nine and went on to earn top honors in city and state piano competitions for his interpretations of Chopin and Lecuona by age fifteen. García received a full scholarship to Columbia College Chicago, where he studied classical piano and composition before discovering his passion for jazz. He later earned his Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Northwestern University, graduating with honors in 2014. He has performed and recorded internationally, appearing in New York, Mexico City, Miami, and beyond. A sought-after clinician and performer, García has served as music director, educator, and pianist for various projects, including the U.S. band of six-time Grammy winner Gilberto Santa Rosa.

Maria Luisa Torres is a dance instructor, performing artist, and dance therapist. Her love for Latin Dance stems from her Puerto Rican roots and connection to her Latinx culture. Torres’s passion for dance and psychology led her to pursue my Master’s Degree in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling at Columbia College Chicago. Torres has worked with a number of organizations such as the Gifted Souls Dance Company, the Legacy Dance Association, and the Kachimbo Dance Company. Today, she is an Artist in Residence at Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center.