Rueda de casino at Futuro 2024. Photo by Ervin Arana
As I reflect on this past year with CONTRA-TIEMPO, I am filled with immense gratitude. Gratitude for the love, connection, and community we’ve built together. This year has been one of the hardest of my life, yet I had the privilege of being held with grace, care, and love by this incredible group of people. CONTRA-TIEMPO has shown me that healing and growth often come with unexpected challenges, but when you’re committed to transformation, real change begins to unfold.
Kati Hernandez Afro-Cuban Master class. Photo by Ervin Arana
As I continue to navigate my journey as a creator, artist, teacher, and performer, CONTRA-TIEMPO has consistently pushed me to grow—not only through rigorous training but also through meaningful professional development. I deeply value lifelong learning, and I admire CONTRA-TIEMPO’s dedication to keeping its artists trained and making that training accessible to everyone. This commitment has profoundly shaped my growth this year. Thanks to the encouragement of our directors and my coworkers, I’ve grown both as an artist and as a person. Seeing everyone push themselves and embrace training with joy has inspired me to do the same. I can confidently say that I’ve stepped into my most authentic and self-assured self as a dancer because of my CONTRA-TIEMPO family.
Photo by Sandy Altamirano, courtesy of Grand Performances. Performing and teaching at the 2024 Celia Cruz Tribute
CONTRA-TIEMPO is more than just the company I work for—it’s a group of people I deeply love and am honored to call my friends. They remind me that relationships require time, effort, and constant care. The love within this community is so powerful, and the work we put into nurturing it is a beautiful journey toward lifelong connections. Together, we create something authentic and rooted in our shared values, and we carry that work into the world around us.
Loving you always,
Mari