OUR TEAM

 Maria Blanco is a dancer, choreographer, and educator from Bloomfield Hills, MI. She enjoys combining social dance with her modern/contemporary training to push the boundaries of dance, what it means to be a dancer, and who can dance. She is on a constant journey to explore how improvisation can be used as a tool for both dancers and non-movers, changing the narrative of where dance is accessible, and who it is accessible to. She finds herself inspired and driven by pop culture, multi-generational, varying genres of music and collaboration with others. Maria received her B.A. in dance and sociology from Loyola University Chicago in May of 2018. Following college, she founded LOUD BODIES Dance, a non-profit dance organization that combines dance, activism, and unapologetic self-expression, in addition to collaboration with local mutual aid + non-profit organizations and local, multi-media artists. Maria presented her works at the American College Dance Association, Loyola University Chicago, The Greenhouse Theatre, Links Hall, The Athenaeum Theatre, The Hamlin Park Fieldhouse in collaboration with Synapse Arts, and Momenta Dance Company. She performed with Erin Kilmurray’s cast of “Search Party” at the 2019 Pivot Arts Festival, as Graffiti Pete in Visión Latino Theatre’s production of “In The Heights”, “Hatorade Retrograde”, a musical by Lise Haller Baggeson, and danced in the Fly Honey Show since 2018. Additionally, Maria worked as a teaching artist with Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, Chicago Public Schools and The Old Town School of Folk Music. In 2023, Maria associate choreographed “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” at the Paramount Theatre and produced a sustainable, dance fashion show at the Epiphany Center for the Arts. Maria currently teaches at Free Mvmt Shop, as well as DanceChurch classes at the Color Club Chicago.