BIO
ELOY J ROJAS
Professional Biography
I am a professional dancer, choreographer, dance teacher and coach from Venezuela, a country where dance is an essential part of cultural identity and everyday life within Latin American culture.
Between 2008 and 2012, I officially completed my professional training as a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher in Ballroom, Latin rhythms, Afro-Latin and Caribbean rhythms in Caracas, Venezuela. After two additional years of training and professional experience in different dance schools in Venezuela, I relocated to Mexico City in 2014, where I continued my development and founded the dance school Be Dancer.
In 2016, I moved to Berlin to further expand my artistic and professional career. Through personal research and continuous practice, I developed my own dance technique, gaining recognition within the Berlin dance scene for challenging gender stereotypes through movement. During this period, I also developed a unique spins technique and an Afro-Cuban body movement approach rooted in the origins of Latin American rhythms, which led me to create and direct choreographic works at renowned venues such as the Volksbühne Berlin.
In 2019, I founded EJR Studio, my dance school, and Ibere Dance Company.
In 2022, I created the project “From the Roots: It Is About Latin Rhythms”, a research-based educational and artistic initiative supported within the framework of Neustart Kultur, a cultural reactivation program funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (Germany), with institutional support from the German Dance Association.
Within this project, I developed the first conceptual structure in Europe for a professional training program (Ausbildung) in Latin American rhythms for dancers, teachers and choreographers. This research also led to the creation of several studies, including “Basic Body Posture and Movement of Latin American Rhythms” and “Spins and Turns Technique of Latin American Rhythms”, among many others.
As part of this process, I created an online learning platform dedicated to Latin American rhythms, designed not only as a dance class platform, but as a comprehensive educational space that includes theoretical documents, seminars, research materials, audiovisual content, books and films. It is conceived as one of the most complete learning platforms currently available for Latin American dance and movement studies.
Choreographic & Educational Projects
Alongside my research and teaching work, I currently focus on choreographic training projects developed under the conceptual framework of From the Roots. These projects combine artistic creation with structured learning processes, offering participants an in-depth experience that integrates technique, musicality, history, body awareness and artistic expression.
These choreographic projects are available both in-person and online, allowing dancers from different parts of the world to take part in the full training process. Each project results in a complete choreographic work, while also providing a deep artistic and educational journey, often inspired by my personal life experiences and artistic path.
Coaching & Mentorship
In addition to my work as a dancer and choreographer, I work as a coach and mentor for dancers, teachers and dance schools internationally. My coaching practice includes:
Artistic and technical coaching
Pedagogical coaching and curriculum development
Teacher training and methodology
Administrative and structural coaching for dance schools
Marketing and strategic development within the dance industry
This mentorship approach is designed to support individuals and institutions in developing clarity, structure and sustainability in both their artistic and professional paths.
Current Activities
I continue to teach at my dance school in Berlin, perform and present my own choreographic works internationally, lead seminars based on my methodology, and develop educational and choreographic projects worldwide.
Awards
- 3x 1st places
- 3x 2nd places
Memberships
INTERNATIONAL DANCE COUNCIL member by The UNESCO
RESEARCHES
Basic body-posture and body-movement of Latin American rhythms
The investigation:
The goal of this research is to explore the roots and evolution of body posture and basic movements of Latin American dances. And in this way observe how a mixture of cultures, dances, religions, political and social movements have shaped these postures and movements which in turn continue to evolve constantly.
Duration of the research: 2 years, 2021-2022.
Research method:
- Bibliographic exploration.
- Interviews with professionals involved in directly and indirectly related topics.
- Field exploration in laboratories during dance lessons.
Results:
- Descriptive document.
Funded by:
Private funds and EJRstudio.
Turns and Spins technique of Latinamerican Rhythms
The research:
The objective of this research is to explore the turns and spins that are executed when we dance Latin American dances. In order to analyze how the mixture of two different dance techniques (Ballet and Afro intentions) could unite and achieve the incredible magic that is transmitted at the moment of observing the result of this fusion.
Duration of research: 2 years, 2020-2021
Research method:
- Bibliographic exploration.
- Interviews with professionals involved in directly and indirectly related topics.
- Field exploration in laboratories during dance classes.
Results:
- Descriptive document.
Funded by:
Private funds and EJRstudio.