Our Instructors

Kimberly was born and raised in NY and has a style like no other in the business: Soulful and Elegant with tons of flavor. At 8, Kimberly learned how to dance Bomba, Plena, and other Folkloric dances from Puerto Rico and began to dance for world-famous Puerto Rican traditional musician William Cepeda. She began her salsa training at 12 in New York City with David Melendez and Maribel Maldonado at Starlite Dance Studio in NYC. Her expertise has enabled her to travel the world alongside Candy Mena, Andy Cruz, Adolfo Indacochea, Sekou McMiller, Jorge “Ataca” Burgos, Tanja “La Alemana” Kensinger, and the Mambo King Eddie Torres as one of his principal partners. Kimberly is the director and founder of an all-ladies team, Diosas, a coed team, Tun Bere, and a franchise team, MG Chicago. She is also a Latin dance instructor for several programs at After School Matters and is now the proud owner of her studio, KR Dance Studio.

Hello, My name is Jose Jr. Pereyda. I am a Talent Recruiter with Chicago Public Schools and a part-time Dance Instructor. I have been dancing for 10 years now, first starting with Ritmo Dembow at DePaul University before expanding into other local dance teams. I have been under the guidance and mentorship of Kimberly Rivera since 2016, having been in multiple teams of hers such as Tun Bere, Island Touch and UV. I specifically focus on Latin Style of Dance which include Salsa on 2 (Mambo), Bachata, and Cumbia, just to name a few. Thanks to dance I have been able to travel and perform in multiple festivals across Chicago, the country and internationally as well. I look forward to continue my growth with KR Dance Studio and to bring all my years of experience to the students and dance community of Chicago. My main goal is to help grow a new generation of Dancers, educating them on not only the style of dance but the cultural history and impact it has to all of Latin America and the Latinx Identity. Come join us on this new journey!

Jocelyn started dancing in high school, “Hubbard Bachata Club,” at 15. By 17 years old, she knew that dancing was what she wanted to pursue for the rest of her life! She studied dance at Columbia College for two years, learning many different styles. (Ballet, modern, West African, Hip Hop, etc.) Sebastian was 12 years old when he started dancing with The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. He was with them for seven years, then went to the Chicago High School for the Arts, where I had more ballet training and danced contemporary, Modern, Horton, etc. Together, they have several years of experience dancing, training, performing, and teaching. They are also Bachata World Champions, winning titles at the Summit Championship.

I’ve been dancing since I could walk, inspired by my parents’ love for music. In 2012, I joined Urban Vibe, co-directed by Kimberly Rivera, and fell in love with mambo on2 "NY" style—a passion I continue to nurture as one of Kimberly’s proud students.

With nine years of experience as an educator, including teaching high school dance, I’m dedicated to helping students connect with salsa music, feel the rhythm, and express themselves. Social dancing is my greatest love—it’s the heart of salsa, where we connect and truly express through the music.

I’ve been fortunate to perform internationally and across the U.S., and I’m excited to share my experiences and passion for dance at KR Dance Studio.