Barbara Bernstein's Biography

After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland’s School of Education, Barbara (Barb) Bernstein began her career as a mathematics instructor at Bowie State University. She later helped run a family business that published an annual Tax Guide for College Teachers.

But a lifelong love of music and movement eventually led her in a different direction. Since the early 2000s, Barb has been a full-time Latin dance teacher; she runs the Danceintime dance company. The shift from teaching math to dance may seem like a leap, but Barbara has found these disciplines surprisingly similar. Both require helping students build their confidence, so they are comfortable with the consistent practice needed to achieve a solid level of skill. 

As the founder of DanceInTime, Barb offers private and group classes, leads Hispanic Heritage Month and Women’s History Month programs, and runs high-energy Salsa Bootcamps. She has designed team-building programs (including a Salsa session for the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders), trained contestants for “Dancing with the Stars”-style fundraisers, and prepared wedding couples for their “first dance." Barb has also been the emcee at community events where she teaches dance.

She has taught credit dance classes at colleges including American University, George Washington University, the University of Maryland, George Mason University, and Prince George’s Community College. She also taught a non-credit class at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Barb produced a short educational documentary film on the global popularity of Rueda de Casino.

In November 2024, Barb published Salsa Dancing & Rueda de Casino Guidebook, featuring hundreds of step descriptions with companion videos, plus chapters on styling, lead/follow technique, music, and Latin rhythms. The book is also part memoir, with pictures of dance events and funny “side notes.” In early 2025, former DanceInTime team-member, “Nancy Salsa,” interviewed Barb about the book and her dance career.

Over the years, Barb has performed with her dance team at venues ranging from the Kennedy Center, Capital One Arena, and World Bank Galas, to local festivals and schools, as well as special events in New York, Miami, San Francisco, San Juan, Baltimore, and DC. Media features include WJLA’s Good Morning Washington, ABC News, and WTTG Morning News.

Barbara does her best to apply education research to dance instruction and develop original approaches to teaching moves. Her classes are known for being fun and productive—a place where laughter and learning go hand in hand. Read what students have said on the testimonials page.