Stephanie Owen is a San Francisco-born choreographer, instructor, and performer who has spent twenty years at the forefront of the Bay Area’s cultural arts scene. Having love for Brazilian Samba, Latin, and Afro-Caribbean movement, Stephanie’s career is defined by her deep-rooted connection to the Carnaval San Francisco tradition—an event in the Mission District of San Francisco, a district serving as both her training ground as a teenage student and the stage for her award-winning choreographic work.

After earning her BA in Dance from San Francisco State University, Stephanie established herself as a versatile creative force at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) in the mid 2000’s. There, she developed a signature multidisciplinary approach, blending Hip Hop and Cumbia, to Salsa, Merengue, and Disco in her dance pieces. Her choreographic excellence was cemented in 2007 when she earned first place for choreography in the Caribbean category for MCCLA’s landmark 30th-anniversary parade contingent celebration. 

Seeking to continue in bridging the gap between Bay Area artistry and global traditions, Stephanie’s career reached another milestone in 2019. As the Co-Founder of Carnaval Dance Company World Carnavalescos, the group performed in SF Carnaval in years 2019 and 2022, and strived during the pandemic by building an online Carnaval dance class schedule plus creating dance video projects for dancers to perform. The group closed its doors in 2023 and had a great run, especially having traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to study at the source of Samba dance. This immersive experience culminated in Stephanie performing at the world-renowned Sambadome for Rio De Janeiro Carnival 2020 with premier Samba schools G.R.E.S. Império Serrano and G.R.E.S. Porto da Pedra (G.R.E.S = Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba or Recreative Guild Samba School).

Beyond her dance leadership route, Stephanie is a Carnaval seasoned performer who has graced both the parade and stage, including some years dancing with the Brazilian Dance and Percussion Company Fogo Na Roupa. Today she is focused on the launch of her own dance business, offering specialized workshops, one on one dance coaching, and choreography for special events. Through her new venture, Stephanie continues to honor her dance roots while continuously evolving her dance career in the city that raised her.

Go to stephanieowen.dance to sign up for dance classes, workshops, and coaching.

For more information about SF Carnaval, go to carnavalsanfrancisco.org

For more information about Fogo Na Roupa, go to www.instagram.com/gofogonaroupa/

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts plans to reopen in Summer of 2026. 

For more information on how you can help, visit www.instagram.com/mcclasf/