08/31/2026
Rafael Castellano manages Arthur Murray St. Petersburg, and his students will tell you: he doesn't just teach dance, he shows them what's possible.
Four years ago, a bacterial meningitis infection led to a double below-the-knee amputation. Rafael had been dancing since he was 5 - and he wasn't ready to let that go. He relearned his technique, got back on the floor and got back into competition.
This year, he and his partner Vanessa competed on wheelchair against dancers he'd faced before his amputations - and walked away with first place in the Theatre Arts Division at a competition in Seattle.
His students say what stands out isn't just the comeback. It's how he teaches - patient, encouraging and fully present for whatever they're working toward, whether that's a wedding dance or their first time on a dance floor.
Ask Rafael how to get through hard times, and he'll tell you to find the thing you love, and don't let go of it. Just watch him on the floor, and you'll see he lives it every day.
Read the full story from Bay News 9 here:
