MTR (Marie-Therese Rushwan) grew up in a family where music and dance was everywhere.  ‘You learned to dance before you could walk!’.  She was greatly influenced by French, Middle Eastern and  African, music and dance styles.

Bellydancing, Contemporary, Ballet, Ballroom (dancesport) and Street Latin are some of the dance styles she studied. Then came Kizomba and it was love at first dance! Introduced  to this beautiful dance style by her dear Portuguese friend Rui Noivo, she decided  this was the dance she wanted to immerse herself in. She has travelled in Australia, the Middle East and Europe to study with the Afro, Semba, Kizomba and Ginga Royalty and was the first South Australian to be certified as a teacher in these genre’s.

Her next dream was to create the first Kizomba and Afro Dance Festival in Adelaide, dedicated to fundraising for MND (Motor Neurone Disease). A disease which her dear friend and Kizomba influencer was diagnosed with.

The SAKAD Festival came to fruition and is now dedicated along with the Rui Noivo Award, to the memory and legacy of her friend, as South Australia’s Kizomba Pioneer.