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Gerson Lanza Ruiz

Photographer: MK Ford

Gerson Lanza Ruiz

Assistant Professor

lanzaruiz.1@osu.edu

614-292-7977

316 Sullivant Hall
1813 N High St
Columbus OH 43210

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Areas of Expertise

  • Tap Dance Movement Practice
  • Composition
  • Performance

Education

  • BA in History and Spanish, Wake Forest University
  • MFA in Dance, University of Maryland
  • Latin American Studies Certificate, University of Maryland


Gerson is an Afro-Honduran immigrant and tap dancer exploring the intersections of multiculturalism, migration, and cultural embodiment. His experiences in the U.S. have sparked his interest in the connections between tap dance and Latin America within the context of the African diaspora. Through his identity as an Afro-Latino, Gerson redefines "Black" as a term that goes beyond ethnic and racial boundaries, encompassing diverse languages and traditions. 

Gerson’s performance work blends percussive dance with jazz, Latin, and funk with spoken word in English, Spanish, and Garifuna, showcasing his cultural heritage. He emphasizes the contributions of Afro-Latino/as to Latin studies, encouraging audiences to reflect on their identities within the broader Black cultural landscape in the United States. His work focuses on reasserting Blackness to include Afro-Latinidad, advocating for Afro-Diasporic studies in dance education, and confronting systemic oppression in the arts. Through his art and scholarship, Gerson invites exploration of the diverse voices shaping our cultural landscape. 

He has completed residencies at The Joyce Theater, Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow, Guggenheim Work and Progress Series, and the Fall for Dance Festival at New York City Center with the New York-based company Music From The Sole, led by Leonardo Sandoval and Gregory Richardson. In his own right, he has been featured as a Strathmore Amplify Artist and Artist in Residence, headlined the Millennium Stage with his jazz quintet at The Kennedy Center, and was showcased in the Artist at the Center program at New York City Center, curated by Ayodele Casel. This included receiving his first New York Times review for his choreographic work. Gerson received his MFA from the University of Maryland and a BA from Wake Forest University