Meet Our September Muze: Stephanie Stevenson
At the beginning of every month, Modern Muze spotlights successful businesswomen who continue to inspire us. Today, we’re spotlighting Stephanie Stevenson, aka “The Princess of Salsa,” a Chilean-American Los Angeles-based salsa dancer, choreographer, and fitness instructor with over 30 years of experience.
If you watched Bad Bunny’s now Emmy-winning Super Bowl LX halftime show, chances are you might’ve caught a glimpse of this performer. In this particular performance, she danced with her daughter, marking a full-circle moment for our Muze of the Month. “I feel like I’ve worked my entire life for an opportunity like this, and then to be able to live it alongside my daughter made it three times more magical,” she told Modern Muze. “Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that the two of us would experience something like this together.”
To get a better insight into her passion for salsa, her high-energy fitness program that exudes Latin authenticity, and spearheading multiple dance teams, Modern Muze talked to Stevenson about everything from the start of her salsa career to her favorite beauty products.
Take us back to the beginning. What first drew you to salsa, and when did it become a true passion for you?
When I was 11 years old, I wanted to be a hip-hop dancer, so I asked my mom to take me to a dance studio called Moro Landis—which today is known as Millennium Dance Complex, one of the most recognized dance studios in the world.
Back then, it wasn’t very common to see kids dancing, especially salsa. By pure coincidence, there was a salsa instructor at the studio that day who offered to teach my sister and me for free. So, somehow, we got “stuck” dancing salsa—and that little coincidence would end up changing the entire course of my life.
I realized pretty quickly that salsa was more than just something I enjoyed. I didn’t want to stop dancing. I didn’t want to stop practicing. I wanted to learn everything I could. What began as a completely unexpected opportunity at 11 years old eventually became my greatest passion—and ultimately, my life.
The salsa world is built on connection. How has that community carried, challenged, or shaped the journey?
The salsa community has been everything to me. It has literally watched me grow up. I came into this community as a child, grew through my teenage years within it, and eventually became the woman I am today, surrounded by many of the same people and the same love for this dance.
This community has carried me through some of my darkest hours, but it has also been there for some of the most incredible moments of my life. It watched me lose many, many competitions—and then it was there to watch me win many, many competitions. It has seen the struggles, the growth, the failures, the victories, and everything in between.
And now, it continues to support me through a journey I could have never dreamed of. Salsa has given me the opportunity to work with people I never imagined I would work with and has taken me to more than 31 countries around the world. I’ve had the privilege of watching the salsa community grow internationally, and it has been magnificent to witness the evolution of the community, the music, and the culture—and to see what it has done and continues to do for people all over the world.
But at its heart, salsa is still my playground. It was my playground as a little girl, and today, it continues to be the place where I feel the most free. It’s where I create, where I express myself, where I release stress, and where I feel confident and completely myself.
It’s my art, it’s my sport, it’s my livelihood, and it’s my community. It’s where I feel my best. Salsa has shaped so much of who I am, and I truly can’t imagine my life without it.
You recently shared one of the biggest stages in the world with your daughter, performing alongside Bad Bunny during the Super Bowl halftime show. What did that moment mean to you both?
It meant the absolute world to my daughter and me. To be on one of the biggest stages in the world, sharing that moment with artists we admire and respect so deeply, was a dream beyond anything we could have imagined.
I feel like I’ve worked my entire life for an opportunity like this, and then to be able to live it alongside my daughter made it three times more magical. Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that the two of us would experience something like this together.
There was also something much deeper and very personal about that moment for me. I’m incredibly proud to represent the Hispanic community and, specifically, my Chilean roots. My parents immigrated to this country from Chile, so being able to carry the Chilean flag at the end of the performance meant the world to me. It felt like I was carrying a piece of my family, my parents, my heritage, and my story onto that stage with me.
And especially duriig these times, I felt that the message of love, unity, and celebrating where we come from was incredibly powerful. That is everything we represent.
To experience all of that as mother and daughter, together on one of the biggest stages in the world, was something I will cherish for the rest of my life. I truly couldn’t have asked for anything more.
What do you hope your daughter remembers most about sharing that experience with you?
More than anything, I hope my daughter remembers what a beautiful and magical moment we got to share together. I hope that every time she thinks about it, it immediately puts a smile on her face.
It’s funny because even now, whenever we hear the music from the Super Bowl, we both get emotional—and she’s only 10 years old. I can already imagine us years from now, when she’s grown and I’m older, hearing that same music and instantly being transported back to this moment. It’s an experience that has marked both of us forever.
But I think what I hope she remembers most are the little moments. The hugs we shared, the laughs, the tears, the hotel room, the rehearsals, the food we ate together—all of those small memories surrounding this enormous experience.
What made it even more special was that we were able to experience so much of it as a family. My husband was there throughout the rehearsals with our nine-year-old son, Rocky, and her grandma was able to be there as well. Because my daughter is a minor and we were both working, our family had a unique opportunity to be close to us throughout an experience that is normally very private.
So when she looks back, I don’t just want her to remember that she performed on the Super Bowl stage. I want her to remember how it felt. I want her to remember looking around and seeing her mom, her dad, her brother, and her grandma there with her. I want her to remember that we laughed together, cried together, hugged each other, and lived this unbelievable dream as a family.
Those are the little details I hope stay with her forever.
Salsa became more than a personal passion when you opened SS Latin Dance Studio. Take us through that evolution from dancer to studio owner.
Opening SS Latin Dance Studio definitely took me into a completely new chapter of my life. I went from being a dancer and instructor to becoming a business owner and having to learn all the ropes that come along with that. There was definitely a learning curve, and there have been plenty of ups and downs along the way.
One of our biggest challenges came almost immediately. I opened a brand-new studio, and about a year later, COVID hit. It was an incredibly difficult time, especially for a new business, but we were very fortunate to survive it. My community really showed up for us. My students continued to support the studio and my classes, and I’ll always be incredibly grateful for that.
Since then, the studio has continued to grow. In fact, we’re currently looking for a bigger space, which is something that feels amazing to even be able to say. It really has been a dream come true, and so much of that is because of the women, children, and families who have supported us and become part of our community.
Being a business owner has taught me that no matter how many years of experience you have, there is always something new to learn. I’m still learning every day, and I’m still trying my best to grow and become better at what I do.
But most importantly, I want my business to always transmit positive energy through Latin music and dance. I want it to motivate and inspire our youth and women, and I want the studio to be a safe environment where they can grow, express themselves, build confidence, and be surrounded by people who support them.
At the end of the day, that has become much bigger than owning a dance studio for me. It’s about creating a community and a space where people feel like they belong.
How has teaching changed your own relationship with salsa?
Teaching has completely changed my relationship with salsa. First and foremost, it has taught me patience. It has also taught me that everyone learns differently, and understanding that has pushed me to become better at my craft.
Some people connect through sound, some through physical direction, some through colors, and others through numbers or counting. Learning how to recognize those differences and find a way to reach each individual student has really challenged me to understand salsa on a much deeper level.
Salsa is so cultural, musical, and instinctive. There are things that, after dancing for so many years, you naturally feel without even thinking about them. But when you become a teacher, you have to figure out how to take something you feel and break it down in a way that someone else can understand and eventually feel for themselves.
That process has made me look at salsa differently. It has made me study the music more, understand movement more, and pay attention to details I may have once taken for granted.
Learning how to teach has ultimately made me a stronger dancer, performer, and choreographer. I always say that I may be the teacher in the room, but I’m constantly learning from my students too.
What do you hope every dancer carries with them after leaving the studio?
When someone leaves my studio, I hope they leave feeling just a little more positive than when they walked in—and that they take that positive energy with them and put it back out into the world.
Of course, I want my students to become better dancers, but even more importantly, I want them to work just as hard at becoming great human beings. I truly believe that dance can help us do both.
Salsa is so much more than learning steps or becoming a great performer. Movement can support us mentally and physically. It gets our bodies moving, releases endorphins, builds confidence, creates connection, and gives us an outlet to express ourselves.
So if someone walks out of my studio feeling stronger, happier, more confident, or simply having had a better day, then I feel like we’ve accomplished something meaningful.
At the end of the day, I don’t just want to create great dancers. I hope that through dance, I can help create happier, more confident, compassionate human beings who carry that energy with them wherever they go.
Muze of the Month’s Rapid Fire Questions with Stephanie Stevenson
When do you feel most like your own Muze, and what has helped you step into that version of yourself?
I feel most like my own muse when I’m dancing salsa. There’s something about salsa that makes me feel completely alive—almost as if I’m flying.
When I dance, I feel confident, powerful, and in control, but at the same time, I’m free to be playful. I can respond to the different sounds, accents, and textures in the music and allow each one to bring out a different side of me.
Salsa also allows me to tap into what I call my feline energy—that combination of softness, instinct, confidence, and power. I can be graceful and playful one moment and strong and commanding the next.
That’s when I feel most connected to myself. When the music comes on, I don’t have to think about who I’m supposed to be. I can just let go, trust myself, and be completely present. That freedom is when I feel the most like my own muse.
And before we let you go, what does your skincare routine look like lately, and are there any products you can’t stop reaching for?
Right now, I’m absolutely in love with DMK products. I have very sensitive skin and deal with a lot of allergies, so finding skincare that works well for me without irritating my skin can be challenging.
So far, DMK has been one of the best things I’ve found for my skin, and I keep reaching for their products. At this stage in my life, I’ve learned that my skincare routine doesn’t have to be overly complicated—it’s really about finding products my skin responds well to, being consistent, and taking care of my skin rather than constantly trying something new.
