There doesn’t seem to be much left for Neri Torres to learn. Over the past decade, the Cuban-trained choreographer and dancer  has developed a full repertoire of Afro-Cuban–inspired concert dance for her Miami-based company Ife-Ile. She is also a sought after commercial choreographer for projects such as the Andy Garcia movie The Lost City, Sesame Street, several Gloria Estefan tours and videos, the Latin Billboard Awards, the Latin Grammys, the Super Bowl pre-game show, and the Orange Bowl Parade.

Yet three years ago, Torres decided to go back to school for graduate student in dance at the University of Colorado. Why? Partly to please her mama, Torres revealed in a recent conversation with the Knight Arts blog. But also to stay fresh. As the oldest student in her program, she says she was “in constant conversation about what is going on in dance in the United States.”

Most important of all, after a career in traditional Afr0-Cuban dance, Torres returned to her first love: modern dance. She’ll be showcasing some of her new, now certifiably master work at the Ife Ile Afro-Cuban Dance & Music Festival this weekend in Coconut Grove. Intrepid festival-goers can pick up some of Neri’s new moves for themselves, during three full days of classes and workshops.

11TH Annual IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance & Music Festival; July 24-26; Arts & Mind Center, 3138 Commodore Plaza, Coconut Grove, FL; 305-476-0832; www.ife-ile.org