Hello!

My name Maria Fernanda Reyes (she/her) also known as Mafer, I was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. I started dancing at the age of 8 in PAM Danza Teatro where I focused primarily on Cuban technique ballet. In 2017, I moved to the U.S. and continued my ballet training at Southland Ballet Academy under the direction of Salwa Rizkalla. In 2018, I joined my high school dance team where I began to choreograph intensively in Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Latin styles. I received my Bachelor in Fine Arts in Dance Performance, Dance Choreography with a Minor in Management at UC Irvine in 2024. My choreography works are influenced by surroundings, culture, and desire to highlight underrepresented groups in staged works. I create a welcoming environment for artists where collaboration and open communication are essential for a sense of community among the dancers on stage and the audience watching. Currently, I'm attending California State University, East Bay to obtain a dance teaching credential to teach in public schools. I'm also dancing at Legoland in the LEGO World Parade.