Vannia Ibarguen was born in Peru and graduated from the University of Maryland with an MFA in dance. She's an international performer, choreographer, instructor, and artistic director of her own dance company VIDA (Vannia Ibarguen Dance Arts). She discovered modern and contemporary dance and decided to train in Argentina, Cuba, and the U.S. In 2005, Vannia received Argentina's Best Dancer and Choreography Award. As a dancer, she has performed in a dozen cities in the U.S., and also in Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, and Hong Kong. Vannia has received awards for her choreography in the U.S., Peru, Argentina, Cuba, and Colombia. She is also artistic director for Global Water Dances, a biennial event where more than 180 cities around the world create outdoor dances to raise awareness about water issues in the local and global community. As a dance educator, Vannia promotes body-awareness and somatic practices within the technique, to help her students build a solid foundation to achieve longevity in their dance careers.