Safos Dance Theatre is a small emerging non-profit dance company founded in Tucson, AZ in 2009.
We collaborate with other Latinx serving and/or AZ-based organizations to offer programs that fulfill our mission. 

Ruby Morales is committed to equity, facilitating life-affirming spaces, and cultivating community relationships that are rooted in reciprocity, trust, and love. She does this through the life she leads and her artmaking. She is a dance artivist so she is always investigating culturally-informed teaching methods and her relationship with movement as a bgirl and Mexican-influenced cumbia Sonidera. After receiving a BFA from Arizona State University she completed Urban Bush Women's Summer Leadership Institute,The People’s Institute for Survival, and Beyond's Undoing Racism Training, and is continuously training in breaking and learning about hip hop philosophy/theory. She is currently working with internationally-renowned creative Liz Lerman, CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater, and Tucson, Arizona based choreographer Yvonne Montoya. Ruby recently toured her own grant-funded evening length show, Breaking Pachanga locally in Arizona. She is a 2021 National Association of Latino Arts and Culture Advocacy Leadership Fellow, and a 2021 Intercultural Leadership Institute Fellow.

Esteban Rosales graduated from Arizona State University in the Spring of 2021 with a BFA in Dance and has been weaponizing it ever since. Although shortly after graduation Esteban lost his home and had to start working at less-than desirable jobs to make ends meet due to familial discrepancies regarding his identity, he now works tooth and nail in the fields of Dance and Stage Production to live lavishly with his two cats. Apart from his long-time commitment to Stories From Home since 2018, he is also proud to work regularly with The Ladies, Weird & Wonderful, and has a new gig down at the local haunted house. On stage performing his own choreography, you will likely find him disrobing, crying, convulsing, and/or programming a thousand lighting cues behind a light board.

Angela Bass, an emerging artist from Modesto, CA, began her dance journey at Modesto Junior College, earning her AA in Dance in 2018. Her choreographic work Vestiges premiered at the American College Dance Association in 2017. Bass toured with Off Balance dance company and performed at Jacob’s Pillow in 2018. She interned at Pony Box Theatre in Long Beach, contributing to various shows. 

From 2020-2021, Bass danced with the Nhan Ho Dance Project, choreographing and performing for multiple productions. She pursued her BFA in Dance at San Jose State University, graduating in 2022, and worked with University Dance Theatre, collaborating with renowned artists like Mike Esperanza and Doug Varone. She further honed her skills through the Movement/Makers intensive in Utah and Doug Varone Summer Intensive in New York. 

Bass expanded her repertoire into commercial heels dancing, performing in Jenzi’s Show Me Showcase and Be The Girl from 2022-2024. In 2023, she danced under Angelica DeLashmette and Caitlin Rose for the Third Space Dance Project’s annual summer festival. Currently, she is a company member of Desert Dance Theatre, AnthroArts Collective, Bodies Contemporary Company and Safos Dance Theatre. Bass continues to explore the depths of dance, traveling and connecting with artists to expand her understanding of the human experience through movement.

Vincent Chavez was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he grew up competing on the local Rodeo circuit. Once he chose ballet over broncos, he received his formal dance education and training from the Dance Theater Southwest (Albuquerque), Ballet Hispanico (New York), Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre (Las Vegas) and Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program (San Francisco). As a result of his strict training and creative educational experiences, Vincent was chosen to perform with leading dance companies including Robert Moses’ Kin, Oakland Ballet Company, Nevada Ballet Theatre, New Mexico Ballet Company and the San Francisco Opera. Vincent is excited to be dancing with Safos Dance Theatre to represent his Hispanic and Native American heritage. 

Madeline McDonald is a dedicated dancer, choreographer, teacher, and artist based in Phoenix, Arizona. She believes that people are influenced, motivated, and transformed by those around them. As an artist, Madeline is passionate about spreading acceptance and positivity through movement.

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She began her dance training at the age of 18 at Scottsdale Community College (SCC). After growing up as a gymnast and cheerleader, she took a leap of faith into a lifelong dream. She went on to earn a Certificate of Achievement in Dance Performance from SCC.

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Currently, Maddie serves as the Creative Department Team Lead for Relentless Beats, where she spends most weekends bringing EDM shows to life. She also performs as a dancer and stilt walker with their Weird and Wonderful crew. In addition to her work in the EDM scene, Madeline is a company member with Rosenkrans Dance, performing in the modern dance form. Her previous experience includes dancing with Canyon Movement Company in Flagstaff, Instinct Dance Corps at SCC, and Align Dance in Scottsdale.

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Madeline’s dance training includes Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, and Jazz. Her love for the stage extends beyond  dance—she has a strong passion for musical theatre and has choreographed musicals throughout the Phoenix Valley. She holds experience in stilt walking, belly dancing, acting/clowning, stage management, and so much more.

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Her commitment to growth is unwavering. Madeline continuously seeks new skills and experiences, aiming to become as versatile as possible. Through her creativity, she hopes to inspire others, promote acceptance, and help people become the best version of themselves

José José Arrieta Cuesta was born in Cartagena, Colombia. Arrieta has trained under experienced artists, dancers, and choreographers such as Nemecio Berrio, Michael Lomeka, Brett Garfinkel, Jared Duster, Crystal Lewis, Majella Loughran, Kati Hernandez. The companies that had allowed him to grow in the national and international industry are DIAVOLO: Artchitecture in Motion, Contra-Tiempo dance activism theater, Blue13, and Alley Theatre.

Isis América Tovar Laborín has a Bachelor’s Degree in Performing Arts from the University of Sonora. She also studied for a semester at the University of Colima, where she explored different artistic disciplines.

In 2018, she joined "Las Fronterizas", an intergenerational group of six women artists who create dance, theater, and visual arts with border communities.

She has experience as an arts teacher in a junior high school and is currently an apprentice at "La Cachimba Teatro A.C."
She believes in the power of movement to express emotions and connect with people.​

Born in Albuquerque, NM, Martin Quintana (he/him) is a Latinx/e dancer and choreographer that strongly believes that dance is for all. His approach to movement honors the belief that we are the ones knowledgeable of our own bodies and challenges the ideas of who gets to be a dancer and what dancing looks like. Recently, he has also been interested in exploring his Mexican American identity through dance as someone who admittedly feels rootless in their culture and hopes to continue delving deeper into the representation of Latinx/e artists in dance. He is currently a senior studying at the University of New Mexico majoring in contemporary dance.

Zarina Mendoza is a passionate artist, a Mexican immigrant with a desire to share knowledge, experiences and culture through movement. She has a BFA and has been teaching and performing for more than 10 years at Festivals in Asia, Mexico and the US. Zarina is the founder, choreographer and director of Tranze Danza Contemporanea, a dance company that has been showcased across South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Costa Rica, the United States, Taiwan, and Mexico. Her work prompts introspection on themes of identity, immigration, empathy and solidarity.

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Zarina is also the producer of Mitote Dance Intensive, an international contemporary dance workshop that brings Mexican artists to share knowledge with dancers in Arizona. She serves as the Studio Manager for [nueBOX] a non-profit organization that provides resources for BIPOC artists in Arizona and has a full time job  at Tempe Center for the Arts. Zarina teaches various disciplines, including Latin Dances, Contemporary and Yoga practices. Beyond her teaching commitments, she remains engaged in performances as dancer and collaborates as a choreographer with talented artists in Mexicali, Phoenix and Tucson.