{"id":8576,"date":"2026-03-04T20:08:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T01:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/lambertville\/?post_type=team_member&p=8576"},"modified":"2026-03-04T20:09:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T01:09:44","slug":"manuel-cordova","status":"publish","type":"team_member","link":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/lambertville\/member\/manuel-cordova\/","title":{"rendered":"Manuel Cordova – Lambertville Studio Instructor"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cDance stopped being something I did\u2026
\nand became who I am.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

I began dancing when I was just four years old.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t magical at first. It wasn\u2019t love at first step. <\/p>\n

Dance was simply something I did. <\/p>\n

But everything changed when I was seventeen. <\/p>\n

During my first international trip, I found myself surrounded by passionate, driven artists from all over the world \u2014 people brought together by one shared love. Being in another country, stepping onto a competitive stage, feeling the energy of the audience\u2026 something shifted inside me. <\/p>\n

In that moment, I realized dance was not just a hobby or an activity. <\/p>\n

It was my purpose. <\/p>\n

I saw how dance becomes a language without boundaries. A way for people of different cultures, backgrounds, and stories to connect without speaking a single word. <\/p>\n

From that point on, dance stopped being optional. <\/p>\n

It became a necessity. <\/p>\n

Through every training session, every competition, and every obstacle, I began to
\nunderstand that dance is more than movement. It is discipline. Sacrifice. Expression. Transformation. <\/p>\n

It is how I process emotion. How I challenge my limits. How I grow. <\/p>\n

If I am not dancing, I do not feel fully alive. <\/p>\n

Over the years, I have built my career with determination and resilience \u2014 becoming an international multi-medalist and national champion. My training has allowed me to explore many disciplines including jazz, contemporary, folklore, hip-hop, ballet, urban styles, Latin, and Standard. <\/p>\n

As a graduate of the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico, I developed not only technical skill, but artistic depth. I am also proud to be a member of the national wheelchair dance sport team \u2014 an experience that continues to shape my understanding of adaptability, partnership, and true connection. <\/p>\n

But while competition has shaped me as an athlete and artist, teaching has shaped me as a person. <\/p>\n

Teaching dance is not about showing steps. <\/p>\n

It is about building a bond. <\/p>\n

On their first lesson, students often feel unsure \u2014 questioning their coordination, their ability, their confidence. I understand that feeling. And when a teacher truly listens and empathizes with what a student is experiencing, something powerful happens. <\/p>\n

Trust forms. <\/p>\n

And in that trust, students begin to express themselves freely. <\/p>\n

They discover Strength. Motivation. Confidence. <\/p>\n

They realize dance can transform not just how they move\u2026 but how they feel about
\nthemselves. <\/p>\n

That transformation is why I teach. <\/p>\n

Dance is not just what I do. <\/p>\n

It is who I am. <\/p>\n

And I am honored to share that journey with every student who walks through our
\ndoors. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever wondered what dance could awaken in you \u2014
\nI invite you to step onto the floor and find out. <\/p>\n

Call, text, or email us today and begin your own transformation. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":8577,"template":"","class_list":["post-8576","team_member","type-team_member","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/lambertville\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/team_member\/8576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/lambertville\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/team_member"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/lambertville\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/team_member"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/lambertville\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/team_member\/8576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/lambertville\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/lambertville\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}