Our Mission

Why we exist.

Lux Arts Collective exists to preserve, share, and advance Latin and Afro-Caribbean cultural arts — ensuring that these living traditions remain accessible, celebrated, and thriving for generations to come.

Latin dance and music are often seen from the outside as nightlife or a niche pastime. From inside the community, we see sophisticated, evolving art forms that deserve a much broader audience.

Carolyn De La Rosa

Founder, Lux Arts Collective

Our Vision

Where we're going.

A future in which Latin and Afro-Caribbean dance and music are widely recognized, meaningfully supported, and given room to thrive—through cultural experiences, broader community participation, and serious artistic development.

More Pathways In

We are creating scholarships, youth initiatives, school partnerships, and welcoming entry points that help more people discover Latin dance and music—and pursue them more deeply.

More Room to Grow

We are expanding access to sustained training, coaching, performance opportunities, and teaching pathways for dancers and artists ready to take their development further.

More Ways to Experience the Art

We are developing live, immersive experiences that bring dancers, musicians, and audiences together and present Latin dance and music beyond the traditional nightlife setting.

A Stronger Cultural Ecosystem

We are building the partnerships, artist networks, public support, and lasting infrastructure needed for Latin dance and music to thrive in Austin and beyond.

Cultural significance

These dances are not just movement—they are living history.

Salsa and mambo emerged through generations of cultural exchange across Cuba, Puerto Rico, New York, and the wider Caribbean diaspora. The forms we practice today are deeply shaped by Afro-Cuban musical and movement traditions, and their music and movement carry layered histories of migration, oppression, resilience, innovation, community, and identity.

Today, these art forms are practiced and reinterpreted by dancers around the world. They continue to evolve as new generations encounter them, contribute to them, and carry them into new communities.

At Lux, we approach these traditions with respect for their roots and gratitude for the communities that created and sustained them. Our role is to study them seriously, share them responsibly, and help more people experience the artistry, connection, and cultural richness they continue to offer.

Meet the Founders

Artists, educators,
and builders.

Lux Arts Collective was founded by Carolyn and Stefan De La Rosa, longtime dance educators, performers, directors, and studio operators with decades of combined experience in Latin dance, ballroom, coaching, and arts leadership.

Together, they combine deep artistic training with professional experience in law, engineering, technology, procurement, finance, and operations to help Latin dance and music gain broader recognition, stronger infrastructure, and more opportunities to thrive.

Carolyn De La Rosa

Founder & Executive Director

Carolyn De La Rosa is a dance educator, choreographer, performer, and arts leader who began teaching salsa, bachata, and ballroom dance in San Francisco in 2005. She has trained extensively with leading Latin dance artists across the United States, particularly in San Francisco and New York, with additional immersive study in Cuba and Mexico. Her competitive career includes top honors at the World Latin Dance Cup and in the World Professional Rising Star Rhythm division.

Known for her analytical, student-centered approach, Carolyn combines technical precision, musicality, and artistic expression in both her teaching and choreography. A licensed attorney with a background in business law, she now leads Lux’s strategy, governance, programming, fundraising, and long-term organizational development.

Stefan De La Rosa

Co-Founder, Treasurer & Director of Operations

Stefan De La Rosa is a dancer, coach, engineer, and former studio owner with more than two decades of teaching experience. He began competing in Romania at age eight, later becoming Romanian National Latin Champion in the junior and under-21 divisions and vice champion in the adult category.

Stefan completed a three-year athletic coaching program focused on anatomy, biomechanics, physical conditioning, and injury-aware training. In his professional career, he works in systems design engineering and supports procurement for research and development operations. At Lux, he contributes artistic coaching, financial oversight, operational planning, and the development of systems and infrastructure for long-term growth.

Board of Directors

Governing with purpose.

Our board brings together diverse experience across the arts, education, management, community partnerships, finance, real estate, and organizational strategy—all in service of Lux’s mission and long-term growth.

Lucinda Waysack

Board Secretary, Management & Design

Lucinda brings experience in management and visual design. She supports board administration, organizational coordination, and the development of Lux’s visual identity and public-facing materials.

Carlos Jimenez

BOARD MEMBER, Music & Community Outreach

Carlos is a longtime Lux dancer, performer, musician, and agricultural educator. Through his work with IDEA Public Schools, he brings hands-on experience connecting young people with food, farming, and experiential learning, along with a strong interest in music, arts programming, and community outreach.

Annie Petterson

BOARD MEMBER, Grants & Community Partnerships

Annie is a longtime educator with more than 20 years of teaching experience and current work supporting students with visual impairments. Her background in education, adaptive support, volunteer service, and community engagement informs Lux’s grant development, youth initiatives, and accessibility-focused partnerships.

Eric Muhlebach

BOARD MEMBER, Real Estate & Financial Strategy

Eric is a longtime real estate and property-development professional, business owner, and former competitive dancer. He advises Lux on facilities planning, real estate strategy, financial decision-making, and long-term organizational growth.

Find Your Path Support Our Mission

Rooted in culture.
Sustained by community.

Why we exist.

Where we're going.

These dances are not just movement—they are living history.

Artists, educators,
and builders.