Maritza accidentally bumped into Casino Rueda during her undergraduate studies (2001). Immediately she fell in love with salsa music and asked to be taught the dance. On the spot the instructor taught her the basics of salsa. For the next two years she took their monthly workshops. After graduating college in 2003, she finally had the time to experience salsa clubs where she quickly realized people mostly danced salsa socially rather than casino rueda.

At that point she began to take private lessons in salsa for a few months from one of the Casino Rueda instructors named Lino. After a few months of privates and weekly club classes taught by Salsa Y Control, she began to take courses with Jamnastics (taught by Andres at that time).

In 2004 she moved to Dallas,TX to pursue her graduate studies. After attending a salsa event at Stratos, she began taking classes with Luis Delgadillo. About a month later, she had the opportunity to audition for and the priviledge to join Salsa Passion Dance Company. Through training with Joel & Jessica, she learned the basics, dance technique, how to perform, and how to teach. She performed with Salsa Passion Dance Company for 2 years (2005,2006).

At the end of 2006, while still in the company, Maritza and her first dance partner Jony choreographed a salsa routine and performed at the Dallas Salsa Congress.

At the end of 2007, Maritza and Jony choreographed their first On2 routine and performed it at the Salsa Passion Dance Company 5th Year Anniversary. She also did her first freestyle at an event, the Oklahoma Salsa Extravaganza.

Now she is pursuing her Ph.D. in The Department of Bioengineering at The University of Oklahoma funded by the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) fellowship. Her and her new partner, Freddy Crespo, will be teaching salsa classes soon in 2008.