Over a year ago I stepped in to the roles of Organizer, Instructor and DJ here in NY and took on the mission of reviving and growing the local Kizomba and UrbanKiz scene. I've learned a lot from my journey and want to share my thoughts and opinions on a few things that i belive could help enhance the experiences we have in our respective dance communities.
My goal is to share values I think are important in helping established and rising communities thrive.
Feel free to comment below with any tips you think are missing and to start respectful, constructive conversations around these topics.
P.S. Big thanks to Analytical Otter a.k.a. @a_moving_point_of_touch for being my sounding board and editor!
#danceflowhaven
Ever seen someone finally land a move they’ve been practicing…
and the whole room lights up?
Friends cheer.
People smile.
The energy shifts.
The whole room feels it.
That feeling has a name.
✨ Mudita
Mudita is a word from early Buddhist philosophy that means:
“Taking genuine delight in the happiness, success, or good fortune of others.”
Not comparison.
Not competition.
Celebration.
⸻
You see Mudita in a dance community when:
• dancers celebrate each other’s breakthroughs
• DJs feel the joy of a connected floor
• artists cheer on other artists
• organizers see people enjoying the space they created
• beginners are encouraged as they grow
When Mudita is present, the whole community rises.
But when it’s missing…
Comparison creeps in.
Gratitude fades.
Organizers feel unappreciated.
Artists feel less inspired to share.
And slowly… the spirit that keeps a scene thriving begins to fade.
Mudita counteracts envy, resentment, and comparison.
It reminds us of something powerful:
Someone else’s joy doesn’t take away from yours.
It multiplies it.
⸻
And this practice extends beyond the dance floor.
Mudita might look like:
• celebrating a friend’s success
• feeling proud of a partner’s growth
• cheering on a family member’s progress
Life stops feeling like a competition…
and becomes a shared journey of growth.
⸻
🔥 Dance Community Invitation
Think of someone in your dance scene whose presence makes it better.
A dancer.
A DJ.
An artist.
An organizer.
Tag a someone you’re proud of.
⸻
🌱 Life Invitation
Send someone a message today telling them you’re proud of them.
Practice Mudita.
✨ Joy shared is joy multiplied.
#danceflowhaven
✨ My first ever published dance tutorial ✨
Feeling a lot of gratitude as I share this.
Huge thank you to Omuwa for being willing to assist, play, explore, and make this shoot genuinely fun. The ease, curiosity, and laughter in the process mattered just as much as the final result.
I’m also feeling deep appreciation for the long journey that brought me here — from dancer, to teacher, to facilitator, and now stepping more intentionally into content creation. Along the way, I’ve picked up editing skills through being part of many different projects, teams, and collaborations, and it feels good to finally weave those skills together with my teaching.
My teaching continues to evolve because of the students, professionals, and communities who have invested in me, challenged me, trusted me, and given feedback over the years. I don’t take that lightly.
This feels like the start of a new chapter — one where I can put more thoughtful, higher-quality content out into the world, and where both my editing and teaching skills get to keep growing together. I also want to acknowledge and respect the many professionals who have been doing this longer and better than me — I’m learning from you, whether you know it or not.
I’m very open to constructive feedback — feel free to DM me.
And I’d genuinely love to hear in the comments:
What did you enjoy most about the content?
What stood out in the editing or composition?
That helps me know what to lean into more.
There’s also a longer version with a more detailed breakdown on my YouTube channel — if you don’t already have the link, just message me and I’ll send it your way.
Grateful. Excited. Learning. Onward. 🖤
#danceflowhaven #urbankiz #connection #dancetutorial
A huge thank you to YinYang Kiz for inviting me as a VIP guest to such a beautiful experience. 🙏🏾✨
This weekend genuinely left me feeling proud of what our North American UrbanKiz community is becoming.
I had the honor of learning from some incredibly talented instructors, sharing dances with radiant humans, and experiencing so many moments of joy, laughter, connection, creativity, and growth. What touched me most was the warmth, openness, encouragement, and beautiful energy people continuously brought to one another throughout the event.
From classes to day socials, Afrobeats to deep late-night flow, from silly playful moments to sensual musical journeys — this weekend felt alive.
I also had the opportunity to pilot an Elemental Dance Quest I’ve been developing through my DFH elemental framework, and seeing people engage with it so openly and joyfully was deeply meaningful to me.
I originally tried to make a full 90s-style reel to capture everything I experienced… but honestly, I failed. 😂 There were simply too many beautiful moments to fit into one reel. So instead, here are 8 small snippets into my experience of the festival.
A huge thank you to the organizers, volunteer team, instructors, DJs, artists, and attendees who all came together to co-create something truly special. Not just an event, but a living experience that we all helped nurture into full bloom.
And a special thank you to everyone I had the privilege of dancing with — those precious moments of connection genuinely recharged my soul. ❤️
Moments like these remind me how powerful dance and human connection can truly be.
#danceflowhaven #urbankiz #yinyangkiz2026
🎵 Gulaab - Mitraz
💃🏾@swasti_narine
Working on this project with Swasti @yinyang.kiz was an absolute joy!
One of the things I’ve been appreciating most lately is the joy of building, creating, and consistently showing up for the people we care about — even when life, distance, schedules, and responsibilities make it difficult.
Somehow, between DC, Montreal, and my constant work travel to Michigan, Swasti and I have been making it work 😂✨ And honestly, I deeply appreciate the integrity, consistency, openness, and beautiful energy she continues to bring into our projects and friendship.
This piece was also a reminder of how much I love dancing UrbanKiz to other genres of music — exploring playful moments, unexpected textures, musical freedom, and movements that simply make people smile and feel alive.
I think emotional literacy plays a huge role in all of this too. Learning how to communicate, support, appreciate, repair, encourage, and truly show up for one another matters in every relationship — not just romantic ones. Those small moments of consistency, care, and co-creation are often what allow beautiful things to grow over time.
Very excited for the next projects we have coming soon ❤️
#danceflowhaven #urbankiz
🔥 KIZOMBA & URBAN KIZ has entered the chat 🔥
Colleen @colleen.zaller from @kizombalittlerock is bringing connection and flow to Viva SBK 2026. See you there!
📍Kansas City
📆 May 15-17, 2026
🎟️ Passes are going fast! Secure yours at vivasbkfest.com
#vivasbkfest #vivasbk2026 #latinfestival #kizomba #urbankiz
🔥 Urban Kiz lovers, this one’s for you 😮🔥
@danceflowhaven is bringing the vibes to Viva SBK 2026 with an Urban Kiz workshop you won’t want to miss ✨
Come train, level up your musicality, and hit the social floor all weekend long.
📍 Kansas City
📅 May 15–17, 2026
⏳ We’re officially ONLY 10 DAYS AWAY!
Don’t wait until the last minute — secure your passes now 🎟️
vivasbkfest.com
#vivasbkfest #vivasbk2026 #urbankiz #kizomba #latinfestival
Grateful. Inspired. Nourished.
Teaching in Richmond with Jennifer was truly one of the most fulfilling workshop experiences I’ve had. From the very beginning, she took exceptional care of me—anticipating needs, communicating clearly, and creating a structure that allowed us to focus fully on serving the students. Her professionalism, transparency, and organization made the entire experience feel smooth, intentional, and deeply collaborative.
What I appreciated most was how adaptable she was—always ready to adjust to new information and circumstances with ease, while offering thoughtful feedback that helped us complement each other beautifully in our lessons. It felt like a true partnership in service of the learning.
And the students… watching their growth was an absolute joy and a privilege. Our classes were filled with humor, transformation, and genuine moments of discovery. The energy in the room was warm, supportive, and alive with hidden talent just waiting to be expressed.
I felt incredibly welcome in Richmond. It was a nourishing experience for me as a teacher and as a human being, and I left with a deep sense of respect for Jennifer and the community she has cultivated.
Thank you, Jennifer, for your leadership and care.
And thank you to your community for the delightful energy, openness, and heart you brought to every moment.
I’m truly grateful. 🙏✨
#danceflowhaven #urbankiz #kizomba #communuty
My 2nd IndoKiz fusion 🩷 How did Nii do? 🫶🏼
For context…. I just played this song spontaneously at the end of a practice in DC, and he just went with it!🫶🏼 No planning…nothing…just two friends sharing a vibe!
“UrbanKiz isn’t limited to one sound. If it has rhythm, texture, and feeling — you can dance to it. Your favorite music is already an invitation.” 🎶
Thank you @dc_cherry_blossom_kiz_festival for reminding me how much I love Kizomba/Semba - my forever dance home ❤️🔥
And thank you @danceflowhaven for the best vibes and fun on the dance floor!!! Love our dances and you! 😍
#Kizomba #cherryblossomkizomba #dancefestival
So grateful to have been able to make it to the last edition of the Mexico Kizomba Congress!!! ❤️✨️💫
A big Thank You to Eric, Jeff & Assul, for inviting me to be a part of the fun. It was truly an amazing experience that I'm never going to forget.
Cheers!
#danceflowhaven #mexicokizombacongress #kizomba #UrbanKiz
