Maria Torres is an award-winning director, choreographer, and cultural storyteller whose work fuses Latin rhythm, theatrical movement, and untold histories. She is a Dance Magazine Honoree whose choreography appears in feature films including Enchanted and Dance with Me, television programs such as So You Think You Can Dance, and multiple Broadway productions including Swing! and On Your Feet! She is the co-choreographer of the musical Take the Lead, directed and choreographed Celia the Musical, and has served as Associate Choreographer on The Donkey Show with Diane Paulus, Disney’s The Golden Mickeys, and as Associate Director for the Hinton Battle Experience with Tony winner Hinton Battle.

Maria’s film and television work also includes a featured acting and dance role in El Cantante and a cameo while serving as Associate Choreographer for Enchanted. She received the Choreography Medal Awards for two of her standout pieces on So You Think You Can Dance and continues to create work that blends technique, narrative, and cultural imagination.

A respected leader in the field, Maria is an Executive Board Member of SDC, a Trustee of SDCF, and a member of the Choreography Guild. Her creative career began as a critically acclaimed performer, and her commitment to mentorship and representation now extends through her nonprofit, the Maria Torres Emerging Artists Foundation (MTEAF), which supports emerging talent through education, training, and artistic development.

Across every project, Maria brings deep storytelling, collaborative spirit, and lived cultural experience, championing voices that have long been overlooked while shaping the next generation of artists.