Barbara Liz Ortiz (Barbara Liz Cepeda) — Director & Founder, Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda Barbara Liz is the great-great-granddaughter of Rafael Cepeda and Caridad Brenes, legendary figures in Puerto Rican bomba and plena traditions, and granddaughter of Margarita “Tata” Cepeda, known as La Mariposa de la Bomba. In 2018, she established the Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda in Kissimmee, FL, to honor her mother and extend the family's cultural legacy into the Puerto Rican diaspora. Her school aims to educate Central Florida's Puerto Rican community in bomba and plena music and dance, preserving cultural roots and fostering community connection, especially significant following the influx of Puerto Rican migrants after Hurricane María. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, Barbara adapted by offering classes virtually, welcoming students from across the globe and strengthening cultural ties through accessible digital instruction. With no existing teaching model for bomba and plena, Barbara Liz developed her own curriculum, balancing dance with percussion, technique with cultural context, for clear, structured learning. She emphasizes both dance and percussion across genders, challenging historical norms and encouraging broader participation in these cultural arts In addition to running her school, she works as a media specialist at Boggy Creek Elementary School in Osceola County, Florida. As a 7th-generation member of the Cepeda family and mother to children continuing the tradition, she is nurturing the 8th generation of bomba and plena practitioners. Her work brings a piece of home to Puerto Ricans far from the island, creating community and cultural identity during times of displacement. Although her Florida school and her mother’s school in Puerto Rico operate independently, they collaborate, allowing seamless continuation for students transitioning between the mainland and the island.