Rita Griffin

Rita Griffin was born and raised in Washington, D.C. While Rita’s first dance experiences were in ballet, modern, and tap at the Charles H. Houston Magnet Elementary School, she has always preferred the dances of the African diaspora. Her life in dance truly began in 1992 when her grandmother introduced her to DC hand dance, a Washington DC based derivation of swing, Lindy hop, and the jitterbug and the official dance of the District of Columbia. In 2001, she embarked on another long journey studying the various dance styles of Africa with groups and schools around the District.

Rita’s foray into Cuban dance began in 2014 when she started taking classes with DC Casineros at Dance Place. She quickly fell in love with casino, Afro-Cuban, and rumba, leading to her membership in the performance team in mid 2016.

Rita’s other passions include financial and grants funds management, nature, gardening, cooking, Go-Go music (another art form of DC origin), the economic education and empowerment of African-Americans, and the history of the African diaspora.