About us

Meet the artists and educators behind the Detroit Dance Festival.

About us

Meet the artists and educators behind the Detroit Dance Festival.

Marc Brewer and Rose Turuka are internationally acclaimed dance artists, educators, choreographers, and cultural leaders whose work bridges Afro-Latin and African-diasporic partner dance traditions. As co-founders of Detroit Dance Loft, they have built one of the most comprehensive and respected social dance institutions in the country—an award-winning home for instruction, performance training, choreography, coaching, and community development.

Rose Turuka, originally from Zanzibar, Tanzania, brings a powerful multicultural perspective and unmistakable artistic presence to everything she touches. With Afrobeats and East African movement traditions at her core, Rose has rapidly emerged as an international force in social dance through her work in Kizomba, Hustle, Salsa, Bachata, Brazilian Zouk, Swing, and beyond. She is known for her grounded movement quality, musical sensitivity, versatility, and commanding performance presence. Her artistry plays a vital role in shaping the cultural identity and global reach of Detroit Dance Loft.

Marc Brewer, a Kresge Artist Fellow, is a world-renowned performer, instructor, choreographer, and judge specializing in partner dances of the African diaspora. A pioneer in the global growth of Afro-Latin social dance, Marc has been invited to teach, perform, judge, and consult in more than 40 countries. His work is distinguished by technical precision, deep musicality, cultural fluency, and a rare ability to connect high-level artistry with real social dance function.

Formally trained through Broadway Dance Center’s professional training program in New York City with a concentration in ballet, and additionally certified across nine American-style competitive ballroom dances, Marc brings a uniquely broad movement foundation to his teaching and performance. His commercial credits include appearances on America’s Got Talent and work alongside GRAMMY-nominated artists Janet Jackson and Daniel Santacruz.

Across multiple genres—including Hustle, Salsa, Bachata, Swing, Kizomba, Cabaret, and Zouk—Marc has earned recognition as a 47-time award winner and 3-time world champion. Together, Marc and Rose are the current 2-time Hustle World Champions, with recent first-place titles at the International Latin Hustle Fest World Championship, Global Summit Championship, Los Angeles Latin Dance Championship, Disco America, and more. Marc is also a sought-after judge, with appointments spanning major events across North America, Europe, Australia, and Mexico.

Together, Marc and Rose have made Detroit Dance Loft a leading force in social dance education and performance. Serving everyone from complete beginners to advanced competitors, dance companies, musical theater productions, and special events, the studio has become a hub for serious training, artistic growth, and authentic community. Under their leadership, Detroit Dance Loft was named the Detroit Free Press Community Choice Awards “Best of the Best” in both Best Dance Studio and Best Place to Dance.

More than champions and instructors, Marc and Rose are builders. Their work is rooted in excellence, access, culture, and connection—elevating social dance not only as entertainment, but as an art form, a lived practice, and a form of community infrastructure. Through their teaching, performances, events, and vision, they continue to help position Detroit as a major center for Afro-diasporic social dance and cross-genre partner dance innovation.

This festival is a reflection of that mission:

World-class artistry, serious social dancing, cultural depth, and a commitment to building something meaningful in Detroit and beyond.