I am a choreographer, dance educator, and creative director currently based in Madrid, Spain with my roots in the heart of New York- where I serve as a Teaching Artist at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. I am also a mother, an entrepreneur, a community builder with a passion for dynamic event facilitation, driving personal development, empowerment for the marginalized, and championing equity, diversity and inclusion. I have a gift for forging connections, creating safe spaces of belonging, and empowering individuals to achieve their personal and professional dreams.
My superpower lies in my ability to teach ANYONE how to dance, from seasoned professionals to self-professed "two left feet" beginners. I deeply believe that everyone CAN and SHOULD dance, as its a universal birthright and paramount form of human connection.
Born into a multicultural family of educators, to a Belizean father and German-American mother, I received my B.A. and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Columbia College of Columbia University in the City of New York, and trained at some of the most pretigious dance institutions in the world.
While in New York City, I honed my skills in the performing arts- voice, acting and most notably dance- in a vast array of dance styles. My artistic footprint extends to musical theatre and opera, as a founding member of Harmony Theatre Company alongside Lee Bynum, former Chief Education Officer at Lincoln Center, where I served as head choreographer and creative director, channeling my extensive dance training spanning Jazz, Tap, Modern, Ballet, African, Haitian, Afro-Caribbean, Irish Step, Viennese Waltz, Swing, Tango and Salsa, Samba, Hip Hop, Urban, and Commercial Dance. My professional journey also intertwined with The Glimmerglass Opera, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, as well as European institutions Studio Harmonic in Paris, Dance Base in Edinburgh, the Dance Theatre of Ireland in Dublin, the Egurrola Dance Studios in Warsaw, and the Caribbean Dance Studio in Stockholm, Sweden.
Since 2009, I cemented my presence in Madrid, officially establishing my company Jennifer Lisette Lopez Dance. Although I teach nearly every dance style, my expertise shines mainly in Commercial/Urban dance styles, as featured in Harper's Bazaar, Vogue España , and TeleMadrid. I've had the pleasure of working with international fashion icon and TV personality Nieves Alvarez as well as beauty maven Myriam Yébenes. I have also collaborated with sports giants like Adidas and The Olympic Channel.
In November 2023, I facilitated a groundbreaking event celebrating the Latin Grammys that took place in Seville, Spain which explored the intersections of music, technology, AI and Health for the purpose of uplifing humanity.
In Summer 2024, I was featured in the Summer For The City program at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in NYC where I led an interactive public dance event that I created and facilitated called "Choreographing the Future: Social Media Dance Challenge".
"VIDEO CLIP" : COMMERCIAL DANCE - POP - TikTok Style
As suggested by its name, in this class I take inspiration from popular music videos for the choreography, making the classes extremely current, edgy and incredibly fun. This class incorporates a range of elements and styles - Street, Funky, Jazz, Latin and Hip-Hop- and sometimes African, Flamenco, Classical and Modern Contemporary. Students learn how to dance like their favorite music artists or TikTok stars. These classes are NOT intimidating, and filled with fun-loving pop music enthusiasts from all over the world.
AFRO GROOVE
“Afro-Groove” is another one of my signature dance classes where I teach students the fundamentals of Afro-based dance forms (Congolese, Haitian, Yoruba, Senegalais) mixed with Modern Dance, allowing students to find the “tribal beat” of their own bodies. The choreography is a melding of the release and undulation of traditional Afro movements with the grace, strength, and balance of Modern and Jazz.
DANCE FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
I have taught Video Clip- Commercial Dance Style to middle school students at El Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Madrid) for over a decade, and have co-created and lead entertainment events for families in Commercial Centers around Madrid in collaboration with different marketing and events companies. I also offer open dance classes, workshops, and masterclasses for adults and children regularly at various studios in Madrid, and around the world- both in person, and virtually.
