Bio

My name is Rafael Quintas. I am originally from Brasilia, the capital of Brazil where I was born and raised  until moving the U.S. in 2008. I moved to attend school at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO, where I later earned degrees in Dance and Mass Communication - Radio/TV.

Ever since I was about 10 years old I had this idea in my mind that I needed to move to America. I wanted to be a movie director. I was obsessed with American movies and television. After graduating high school with that idea still in my head I was unsure of what to do. I wasn't interested in any of the schools in my city and I knew the U.S. is where I needed to go. While in the process of applying to schools here I got involved with a local musical theater company. I always had a passion for dancing, but usually just by myself or copying videos and movies. I had never trained or taken class. The choreographer for the company took  a liking to my passion for movement and we started staying after rehearsals for sessions and going out to freestyle and battle. She also introduced me to Waacking which I fell in love with and have been training in ever since. 

When I first got to Lindenwood I started as Mass Com. and Musical Theater major. As a requirement for my MT degree I had to take a few dance classes. My very first one was beginning modern, and I fell in love. I got more and more involved with dance and the department which led me to changing my Musical Theater degree to Dance. I performed at every dance concert through four and a half years in school and discovered my passion about choreography and later teaching. It was my thirst for growth, knowledge and opportunity for dance that made me decide to move to Los Angeles.

I arrived in L.A. January of 2013. At first I wanted to perform and be a back up dancer or be in music videos. After many great and not so great experiences I decided to shift my focus to teaching and choreography. After a lot of hard work, teaching free classes and submitting to many different places, I am proud to currently hold a regular class at EDGE PAC (which back in 2013 seemed like a distant dream) and most recently started as a sub teacher at Movement Lifestyle. I have choreographed for multiple dance events in the Los Angeles area and most recently started creating and directing dance films.

Teaching and choreography is truly my passion and gift. I see them as tools that I can use to touch people's lives and make them free their most authentic creative selves. In my classes and movement I strive for the dancers to completely let go while being fully aware. To let the music guide the body while being present and understanding what is happening, from their hair to their toes. To help people discover themselves, to release their fears, to accept their flaws, to explore the uncomfortable, to release through movement to guide people to self love. That is why I do what I do (and off course, because dancing is fun.)

If you have made it through the end of this bio I appreciate your time spending on reading it. I hope you have a beautiful day, and remember:

BE KIND

TO OTHER PEOPLE

TO OTHER BEINGS

TO OUR PLANET

TO YOURSELF.

Rafael Quintas.

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