About

Kiz the SEASON 9: December 6 -8, 2024

About CinciKiz

What is Kizomba?

Kizomba is a partner dance that originates from the Angolan dance, semba. The music blends semba music with zouk and kompas music from the French Caribbean Islands. The infectious rhythms in the music and the elegant flow of the dance have brought widespread popularity to kizomba all over the world, including here in the U.S! We are excited to show you kizomba and have everyone in Cincinnati dancing!

The CinciKiz Mission

To advance the Cincinnati kizomba community by providing high-quality, diverse instruction, by encouraging thoughtful dialogue around relevant topics in the kizomba world, and by building connections - from personal to global.

What We Dance and Teach

Kizomba
Semba
Konpa
Tarraxinha
Urban Kiz

Meet the Instructor

PASSION

She thought she loved salsa...until she met Kizomba! Lisa was captivated by the earthy rhythms of the music and the fluid simplicity of the dance when she stumbled upon it watching dance videos some five years ago. Since then, Lisa has developed a passion to learn all she can about Kizomba and the vibrant culture from which it originates. Lisa loves teaching kizomba, emphasizing physical, mental, and emotional connectedness in the dance. She also is driven to support the growth of individual kizomba dancers and communities locally and beyond.

APPROACH

A school psychologist by profession of 27 years, Lisa understands best practices in teaching. She applies her skill as both leader and follower to not only teach technique, but to infuse her empathic perspective on each side of the social dance experience in a relatable way for each student. Lisa is committed to her own training in semba, kizomba, afro-body movement, urban kiz, and konpa and gives respect to her favorite teachers, including Lucia Nogueira, Charles Ogar, Meggie Carpel, Schiller Greffin, and many more. In 2021, Lisa completed the intensive Konpa Master Course for Teachers with Danse Select Canada, and looks forward to bringing more konpa to Cincinnati. Always a student, Lisa has been learning these dances for more than nine years and has been teaching for over seven years.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Lisa is very active with CinciKiz, teaching kizomba and providing great learning and social dance opportunities for dancers in Cincinnati and surrounding areas in the midwest, including Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Louisville, Detroit, and Chicago. Lisa is respected by her fellow dancers for providing quality instruction to the community, both as an individual instructor, and as an organizer and host, and for fostering a genuine spirit of community.

In addition to teaching, Lisa loves sharing kizomba with others. You’ll find spreading love for kizomba at Cincinnati’s Afrocaribbean events hosted by TizieB Entertainment such as Somerset, Second Story, Beer Sellar, and Rusconi. You’ll also find us dancing in a park near you for Kizomba Pop-Ups, or on stage at community festivals such as the Electric Roots Festival in Oxford, OH May 4, 2024 and the Midwest Regional Black Culture Festival on June 1, 2024.

BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE

Born in Texas, but raised in Circleville, Ohio, Lisa resides just outside of Cincinnati with her husband and four children, all of whom keep her busy! When she is not dancing Kizomba, Lisa still loves salsa! She also enjoys DIY home improvement projects, learning Spanish, singing for fun, and taking time to laugh. She’s on a journey of self-discovery, and believes that each day we are blessed with an opportunity to be better than we were the day before.