Maria Durant grew up in the San Fernando Valley and is of Cuban descent. Her love of dance began at seven years old. In 2004, Maria earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature. Maria is trained in Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop and Ballet through Debbie Reynolds studio and professionally certified in Ballroom, Swing and Salsa.

In 2008, she opened Dance 4 Wellness, a social and ballroom dance company for adults and children in Thousand Oaks. Two years later, Maria founded The Showtime Project (Formerly Dancing With Our Local Schools or DWOLS) to introduce an in-school performing arts program, particularly Ballroom dance, Salsa, Swing, Hip-Hop, Bollywood, and other multi-cultural dance styles to students in public schools. The program has taught nearly 9,000 children between the ages of 5-18 to dance.

The Showtime Project currently teaches in Conejo, Hueneme and Simi Valley School Districts. The program projects to expand throughout these three districts, and eventually into additional districts. Maria believes when we dance, “We cannot judge, we cannot hate, we cannot separate ourselves from life. We can only be joyful and whole.”