Login
2025 BAILA4LIFE MCPS ALUMNI LEGACY AWARD TO RAUL SANTIAGO (Partner Yesenia Serratos)
ADSF and Baila4Life — Our History
The After School Dance Fund (ASDF) was founded in 2010 by Ricardo Loaiza with the steadfast support of his wife, Elba Garcia. Its roots, however, stretch back to 1999, when Loaiza supported a small Latin dance competition at Seneca Valley High School. In those early years, only a handful of schools participated—yet community interest grew rapidly. Audiences packed school auditoriums and gyms, underscoring that the popular Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Latin Dance Competition needed a bigger stage. To meet this rising demand, Loaiza established the After School Dance Fund, a Baila4Life initiative, to formally organize, produce, finance, and expand the event. ASDF’s mission included securing a venue worthy of the students’ talent and the community’s enthusiasm. In 2010, the Music Center at Strathmore became the official home of the MCPS Latin Dance Competition, offering a world-class setting for MCPS Latin dance teams to shine.
Today, the competition features seven divisions:
A) Six Couples Categories: Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Cha-Cha, Parent/Student, and Jack-n-Jill
B) One Group Category: Best in Show
BEST IN SHOW SENIOR WINNERS AT STRATHMORE ON NOVEMBER 24, 2025.
PASO FUERTE LATIN DANCE TEAM FROM NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL.
Since then, ASDF has evolved into a year-round educational program culminating in an annual event that has become a defining celebration of Hispanic heritage in Montgomery County. Students who may not typically participate in extracurricular activities often join their school’s after-school dance club, where they discover a sense of community, belonging, and personal pride.
As the Latina/o/x student population continues to grow, the program also welcomes non-Latino MCPS students, bringing together young people from diverse backgrounds to learn and share some of the most popular Latin dances in the United States and around the world. The experience encourages teamwork, healthy competition, and cultural appreciation—while allowing students to showcase their dedication, skill, and talent on a vibrant, community-supported stage.
2025 BAILA4LIFE TRAWICK INSPIRATION AWARD RECIPIENT OFFICER FRANCIS FELICIANO
2025 BAILA4LIFE-DR.JUDY DOCCA PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD TO DR. GILBERTO ZELAYA
2025 BAILA4LIFE-ADMINISTRATOR AWARD TO MR. KEVIN YATES
2025 MCPS LATIN DANCE COMPETITION LEGACY AWARDS TO VILMA NAJERA AND PAULA PERO
In 2012, the After School Dance Fund expanded its reach by launching pilot programs in several D.C. public schools—including Wilson, CHEC, Roosevelt, and Cardozo—as well as D.C. charter schools such as Next Step and E.L. Haynes. Over the years, the DC Regional High School Latin Dance Competitions have been supported by the Latin American Youth Center and Washington Performing Arts (WPA), with events hosted in the auditoriums of Wilson High School, CHEC, and Cardozo.
As the program grew, the competition moved to the historic Lincoln Theatre. Since 2018, ASDF has proudly presented the DC Regional High School Latin Dance Competition at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage each Memorial Day, as part of the DCPS Music and Arts celebrations. Festival week.
