Vannia is a MFA Graduate in Dance of the University of Maryland, performer, choreographer, dance teacher, and Artistic Director of VIDA Vannia Ibarguen Dance Arts, a contemporary dance troupe . Vannia was earning her MFA at the University of Maryland while I was in my BA program there and she inspired me even then. Her focus is in the interaction between performance and technology, and also the relationship between classical, contemporary and folk dance styles. She has received awards in the United States, Peru, Argentina, Cuba, Colombia, and the NDEO Excellence in Education Award (National Dance Education Organization) in 2009. Vannia is a recognized International Performing Arts consultant, collaborating since 2011 with Global Water Dances, an international initiative that raises consciousness on the critical need for safe drinking water, and now she is serving as Artistic Director.