A queer student experience‍I was looking through a long list of salsa instructors when I first moved to Los Angeles when I came across Maria. As a queer male I was looking for an instructor that could not only teach me to follow in a salsa dance but also create a space in which I could feel comfortable and safe doing so. As soon as I introduced myself and specified my goals, Maria was very welcoming and was happy to teach me from a variety of dance styles. I have learned so much and I am so happy I have Maria as an instructor. The dance world can seem very binary with male to female partners, but dance and music is for everyone and I want other queer individuals to not shy away from learning the beauty of dance because of how they identify. From group classes to private classes, you will have a great experience. Don't worry about what level of dancer you consider yourself to be, Maria is such an amazing teacher that you will learn at your pace and work towards being the best dancer you can be. Finally being able to dance salsa at weddings and parties is the cherry on top and I owe it to Maria for helping me come out of my shell.

  Maria is a great latin dance teacher! I started taking Salsa dance lessons with Maria without knowing anything about Salsa dancing and within a couple months I moved from Salsa basics to also taking Bachata lessons. Her patience was incredible and her innovative techniques made dancing fun.

Anyone looking to take Latin dance lessons should definitely consider taking classes with Maria.

  Buying private lessons from Maria was a great investment to develop my salsa dancing skills. I danced a little before the pandemic and wanted to get back into dancing salsa. Maria met me at the skill level I was at and built upon my prior knowledge. In about 3 months, Maria instilled in me the skills and confidence to go out social dancing. I learned how to sequence patterns based on my partners' skill level. Maria taught me the progressions from least difficult to more difficult. This allows me to lead partners I have never danced with ease and grace. I learned much more than footwork and patterns. Body mechanics were incorporated into our dance sessions making me look comfortable and natural as a dancer. One thing that separates Maria from other private lessons is that Maria keeps notes of every session and knows where we left off and where we are heading. I have taken lessons with other salsa instructors that don't know what we did last time and forget what we have worked on. Maria was always prepared and ready for every session. Maria also helped me keep notes which was very valuable for my development and growth. This allows me to play around and create my own patterns. I plan on continuing private lessons with Maria in the near future.

  I love Maria! She is an incredible talented instructor, dancer, and person!
I've been taking salsa and bachata private lessons from her and Cesar for years now.
She is extremely patient, knowledgeable, detail oriented and will focus on every dance step.
She even taught me styling and flexibility techniques which has changed my posture and the way I walk.
Her classes are structured but fun and exciting. You will learn something new every lesson.
Thank you for everything you taught me!

  Great instructor! Took bachata with her. Always a blast learning with Maria 🙂 She makes it fun to learn and listens to what you're trying to accomplish to tailor the class for you. One of the best in town

  Maria was such a pleasure to work with! My husband and I wanted to learn a choreography for our first dance and within a couple of months Maria solidified a routine for us and got us ready for our big day. Maria is very professional and her dancing tips were very helpful. We had so much fun dancing at our wedding and everyone was surprised with our dancing skills! Thank you so much Maria!

  A couple years ago I decided to learn how to dance Salsa. After a few weeks of searching, I decided to take Maria's lesson. If you move like robot and not having an ounce of dance talent in your body, please do yourself a favor and take her lesson!
Her class was very structured and she will take you step by step through the basic, she's very passionate and knowledgeable. I ended up taking her lesson for the next 3 month before the pandemic hits. I'm planning to go back again.

  Our organization hosted a salsa night and Maria did a wonderful job instructing everyone involved especially the beginners. During times like this, to have a patience expert salsa instructor is a necessity and a joy. Thank you Maria for being a great teacher!

  Maria is the best.

I've been taking lessons from her for almost a year. I had never taken dance lessons before but Maria made it very easy to learn. From the beginning she was interested in understanding my goals which helped guide the pace and overall instruction. I really appreciate the fact that we focus on the basic steps but also build little by little upon it each week - it keeps things fun and never so hard that I get discouraged.

She is very nice, easy to work with, and very accommodating when it comes to scheduling. I don't live that close to the studio but she is well worth the drive.

I highly recommend her!

  My wife and I have been working with Maria for over a year now and the progress has been great! We've gone from zero experience dancing to confidently performing our First Dance at our wedding. We got several complements from our guests about our choreograph and dance skills, which is thanks to the work we put in with Maria. We have done a mix between group and private classes and found them both very helpful. Maria's years of experience is noticeable and comes through in her instructions. Her lessons are clear and easy to follow. She has been able to, through observation alone, pinpoint where we struggle and provides thoughtful individualized feedback on how to improve our techniques. Honestly, working with her is a pleasure and a blast and we look forward to continuing to learn from her. 1000% recommend her.

  I found Maria online during a random search for cumbia lessons. Her experience persuaded me to reach out to her. I was not disappointed.

I was looking for an instructor to teach me cumbia, in time for my wedding. Maria delivered! I went from 0-60 in a couple of months. My wife was both surprised and very happy.

Thank you Maria!! Looking forward to continuing the lessons.

  I decided to take classes with Maria after I attended a friends event and watched everyone having a blast dancing bachata and salsa. Eventhough I had no previous experience with dancing, she was able to help me understand the basics of bachata and salsa. After just a few classes with Maria I gained the experience and confidence to dance outside of a class setting. I definitely recommend taking dance classes with Maria 🙂

  I had an INCREDIBLE time learning salsa at Maria's studio. Every week I learned something new. As a teacher myself, I appreciated Maria's focus on individual needs while steadily increasing difficulty each class.

  I got a private lesson for me and my partner with Maria.
She's a great teacher. It was a fantastic experience! I hope to book her for more lessons soon.

  I've been taking dance classes with Maria for the last year and I have to say, she is the best dance teacher I've ever had. I came into Salsa not knowing much and feeling really uncomfortable going out and dancing because I was afraid of looking like a fool. However, in the span of a year, not only has she helped taught me a crazy amount, but she has really helped overcome that fear of dancing out in social settings. She is very structured with her teaching style and breaks down each of the moves really well. If you have no experience dancing, or even if you do, I definitely recommend hitting her up! You wont regret it!

  I've always wanted to learn to dance and I've taken several dance classes: salsa, bachata, hip hop, tango, etc but I never felt like I actually learned. It was mostly choreography which made it hard. Maria teaches individual loves and how to incorporate them into different combinations. I finally feel like I'm learning to dance. I take private salsa dance classes with her and I also joined the beginner salsa/bachata group classes. I highly recommend her. I don't do too many reviews but she deserves the support. Feel free to reach out if you have questions for a student of hers

  Awesome salsa and Cumbia teacher who really does care about the teaching aspect and adapting for her clients
I have had lessons in other parts of California and Colombia and really can say that Maria is unique and well crafted in her approach to teaching

  Maria Diaz is an INCREDIBLE latin dance teacher working in the LA area! She has hosted multiple dance lesson "parties" for me and my friends, both in-person and during COVID-19 virtually. Both types of lessons have been the highest quality, most fun, most interactive dance classes. She is also incredibly willing to tailor the class to the needs of the audience! She teaches everything from beginners salsa to advanced for regulars like me. I can't say enough about Maria. I've learned so many new combinations, she has helped me practice, brings awesome energy every week, and I'm excited for our private virtual lessons every week. Her lessons and her style are so unique and she specializes in teaching her native Colombian salsa.

I've had 5 private virtual lessons with Maria and I will definitely have more!!! Maria tailored our private sessions to MY NEEDS! We practice flexibility, complex dance combinations, and she always has good tips to share about taking care of your body as a dancer and athlete!

Did I mention that Maria is a UCLA graduate (go Bruins!) and is studying physical therapy!? She has so many amazing tips for keeping my body moving and flexible especially during the stay at home era when we are doing a ton of extra sitting/laying.

I can't recommend her enough! Try her out and it'll be a great class no matter what style you take.

  Thank you, Maria, for introducing me to salsa! I had no experience in salsa when started and Maria is patient, inspiring, and professional, and has shown me the beauty, elegance, and joy of salsa dancing.

  My grandma taught me how to dance salsa when I was a kid, but I completely forgot since moving to the US. So, I wanted for a long time to (re) learn how to dance. I wasn't sure about taking classes since it is very different from my sport of boxing, but in just a few classes I was able to learn a lot. At least I'm not an embarrassment anymore. She is teaching me the new and old school styles of dancing and clearly knows what she is doing. I'm not the guy with the best rhythm, but she's making me look good. If you are unsure, give it a try. It is worth it.