Make An Impact: Challenge Yourself

Serena Henriquez is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary dancer, performer, and educator with a deep-rooted passion for tap dance. She began her dance training at a young age and quickly fell in love with the rhythm, history, and expressive potential of the art form. Today, Serena continues to perform professionally, bringing her dynamic artistry to stages across Canada and beyond. 

She has had the privilege of training with a range of esteemed artists from both Canada and the United States, including Allison Toffan, Juliana Kelly, Jonathan Morin, Cori Giannotta, Dianne Walker, Heather Cornell, and Matthew Clark, among others. These mentors have deeply shaped her approach to movement, music, and mentorship. 

Serena’s performance credits include dancing as an ensemble member in Revamped (2022) and In Passing at the 2023 Toronto Fringe Festival with Rhythm & Sound, as well as Toronto Rhythm Initiative Explores the Music of Motown where she presented original work with Victoria Miller. She presented original work at the 2024 Toronto International Tap Dance Festival in Rhythm Lives! Honoring the Legacy of Ethel Bruneau, directed by Travis and Tanya Knights, produced by Houys Garabedian. Most recently, Serena was on faculty at the 2025 Toronto Rhythm Initiative’s Junior Prep Program, where she choreographed original work to live music for aspiring young tap dancers and presented her own improvised performance. Serena appeared as a main cast dancer in Neo Soul Ties (August 2025), a new work by Victoria Miller in which she is also served on the production team elevating the show's social media presence and working with a younger group of residency dancers. 

Serena acts as a contributing artist and outreach coordinator for Ripple Effect, an up and coming community outreach initiative produced by Toffan Rhythm Projects, which will tour libraries and community centres offering free performances and workshops in low income communities across Ontario making tap dance training accessible to all. Serena supports outreach efforts for both Ripple Effect and the Toronto International Tap Dance Festival. 

As an educator, Serena brings a pedagogy grounded in the improvisational roots of tap dance. She regularly hosts live music sessions in which students learn to engage with musicians as collaborative band members rather than as performers dancing to accompaniment. This embodied understanding of rhythm and musicality reflects her deep commitment to preserving the improvisational traditions of the form. 

Serena continues to build her practice around community, collaboration, and honoring the lineage of tap dance, while nurturing the next generation of dancers with authenticity and joy.