​Maestro Ruben Dario Mejía was born in the town of Anserma, Caldas. He is a Colombian folklorist dedicated to spreading Colombian dance, emphasizing the Andean region. He studied dance in Colombia with masters Julian Bueno Rodrigues and Octavio Marulanda Morales, graduating with a degree in Colombian dance. In 1982, he founded the music and dance company “Aires de Colombia” in Manizales. He is a researcher of traditional dances of their region and has won several national awards for dance. In 1994,1997 and 2002, he won the national prize for research on the “Pasillo Colombiano”, in Aguadas, Caldas, Colombia. Ruben lives in New York with his dance partner and wife Paola Toro Velez. Together they founded internationally recognized Colombian dance company, “Los Viajeros de la Danza”.