Ricardo Loaiza has been a DMV area resident since 1990. Originally from Colombia and a teacher first and foremost, Ricardo began his dance career as an instructor and DJ at various DC night venues, including Havana Village in 1992, Lucky Bar formerly known as Planet Fred from 1995 to 2007, Republic Gardens, Lulu’s 1997-2007, Cecilias (currently “The Salsa Room”, Café Citron, Relish, Yuca, The Spot, Fifth Colum and Cities. He also worked as the first Latin dance faculty from 1998 to 2002 at the prestigious Joy of Motion Dance Center. Ricardo’s work has been featured in many major media and publication outlets locally, nationally and internationally including; The Washington Post, The Washingtonian Magazine, Bethesda Magazine, Washington Hispanic, C-SPAN, UNIVISION, Telemundo, RCN, NBC, FOX 5, CNN, CBS, ABC News, La Voz de America and others in Holland and England.

Together with his dance partner Elba, Ricardo has taught, choreographed and performed in more than 500 events in the DC area and in over 20 cities nationally and internationally. In 1996, they co-founded the DMV’s first Latin Dance Company; “The DC Salseros/ Latin Vibez” which performed at the PR and LA Salsa Congresses from 1997 to 2002. Through his Entertainment Company “WEPA Productions, he organized and produced the First SALSAWEB CONVENTIONS in DC and in Toronto , Canada in 1998 and continued till 2002 and stopped producing events to prioritize family life when he got married to his dance partner Elba.

Ricardo has been a pioneer in his field and has facilitated many firsts throughout his artistic career including starting DC and MD’s first Latino-owned dance studio in 2000. In 2010 he created the first DMV’s After School Latin Dance program for High School Students, and together with Elba, since then, they have been organizing, producing, managing and have hosted the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Latin Dance Competition at the Music Center at Strathmore, thanks to the non-profit organization they co-founded,” the After School Latin Dance Fund (ASDF)”. The mission of ASDF is to provide artistic, technical and financial support for the establishment of After School Latin Dance Clubs. These dance programs work to strengthen family values and heritage, and help students develop confidence and leadership, promote excellence in academics, and pave their way into higher education.

Most importantly students participating in the clubs find a place of belonging and a support group of peers that helps one another in and outside school hours.

In the fall of 2012 Ricardo worked with the Kennedy Center’s Education Department “Artsedge”,and developed an instructional online Latin Dance series, “The Five(ish) Minute Latin Dance Lessons”. The first chapter of the series was seen by over 3 million downloads in the first three months of its release; the second chapter of the series was released in the fall of 2013 with similar ratings. There are 5 more chapter in the works and all series are both animated and in Spanish and English. In October of 2014 Ricardo received “The Montgomery County’s Community Award for the Excellence in the Arts & Humanities” from County Executive, Mr. Ike Leggett in the State of Maryland for his contribution and dedication to the Arts. The annual MCPS Latin dance competition has also been establish and proclaimed by the County Executive, the County Council and the Governor of Maryland as the “After School Dance Fund and Latin Dance Competition Day’ every year.

Ricardo’s work reflects his desire to share the power of dance, and give students an opportunity to become healthy and positive members of our global society. He credits the unconditional support to his favorite dance partner and wife Elba, and their four kids; Esperanza, Ricardo Jr, Leonardo and Lorenzo as both his inspiration and motivation, to share the transformative effects of Latin dance in people’s lives worldwide.