José Cruz-Arzón (He/They) was born and raised in Puerto Rico and has been dancing since he was 12 years old. José started in classical styles like ballet, jazz, contemporary and modern, but quickly found a love for street styles like hip hop, fusion styles like jazz funk, reggaeton, and more. When he moved to Madison, WI to pursue his Master’s degree in Biochemistry, he furthered his dance training at Barrio Dance, where he continued to develop his skills in hip hop, afro, house, jazz funk, heels, reggaetón, and more. His dance journey, with Barrio Dance Factory, has taken him to compete in World of Dance Chicago 2022, 2023 and 2024 where they obtained 1st place (2023) and 2nd place (2024). Furthermore, he had the opportunity to compete at the World of Dance World Summit 2024 and 2025, where alongside Barrio Dance Factory, they obtained 1st place in the North America adult division and 18th place worldwide.

José has also taught and choreographed for the Isthmus Dance Collective through their Dance Experience Lab for Vibrant Exchange (DELVE) program, KLJ Movement, Madison Ballroom Company, and Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR).

José enjoys being on stage, performing, and teaching others how to live their best experiences on stage and bring out the best performance quality in his students. José values having fun above everything else, diverse perspectives and ideas from students, inclusivity, confidence, freedom of expression, and the value of trusting the process. José is also passionate about the history, culture, and impact of hip hop as a movement, and hopes to inspire students to find their own style and personality and still pay tribute to the roots of hip hop.