Growing up in Puerto Rico, Rafael began making dances and training at a performing arts high school, exploring a wide array of genres. Rafael learned from local professionals like Petra Bravo, Jesus Miranda, Denisse Eliza, among others. He later worked with renowned Puerto Rican contemporary ballet company Coda21, collaborating with international professionals Gina Patterson, Maša Kolar, Milan Tomášik and Fernando Troya and continued developing his artistic voice as an independent maker.  In 2018, he moved to NYC to pursue a master’s in choreography from NYU Tisch School of the Arts studying dance, pedagogy and composition through the lense of Phyllis Lamhut, Pam Pietro, Jeremy Nelson, Patricia Beaman and Wendy Perron. Presently, Rafael works for the NYC based company Boca Tuya and el Barrio Raices Summer Camp with Boundless Theater. He is in collaboration with Puerto Rican collective Claroscuro, and continues to cultivate his creative practice.