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Our Founder, Ms Lucy

​Luciana Brussi Costantino was born in Brazil.
She began studying classical ballet at the age of 7 and at 13 she moved on to other dance styles, such as modern and jazz. At age 17, she joined the dance professional group in São Paulo, where she began teaching children’s dance lessons.
​At age 19, Lucy began her international career in Europe.
She lived there for a year, performing in Brazilian shows in various countries. In 1998, she arrived in Japan to take part in a Brazilian dance show. In 2000, she became a choreographer in the cities of Yokohama and Tokyo, working with various Japanese and international artists and taking part in TV shows and commercials, as well as other important events such as the Asakusa-Tokyo Samba Carnaval yearly, until 2010.
Luciana moved to Pittsburgh in 2010.
Here, she had her first daughter Sofia in July of 2010. Even though winter cold and snow left her totally depressed, she always had encouragement and support from her unforgettable mother-in-law Cindy.
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In 2011 she decided to return to her dance career and in 2012, while she was expecting her second child, Jasmine, she founded the Pittsburgh samba group which performs in shows and other events in the area throughout the year!
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​In 2016 Lucy and Jen Gallagher founded the studio Art in Motion Pittsburgh, where Lucy developed all the kids dance programs and taught! After 5 years in this partnership, in 2021 Luciana decided to open Lua Dance Club in North Hills, where she currently lives.​
Click the above button to learn more about our Founder/Director, Luciana. -Interviewed by PGH Dreamer's pod
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