Jaruam Xavier is a Brazilian MFA Candidate - Graduate/Teacher Assistant - at the University of Iowa. An experienced dancer, he has performed in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, China, Uruguay, the United States, and Brazil, among other countries.

He has been working on fusion martial arts techniques and contemporary dance as a choreographer. Influenced by Brazilian culture, Capoeira and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu traits are visible in his works. Enthusiastic about improvisation, Jaruam researches the spontaneous response from an improvisation perspective. For him, the inputs from the surroundings are a rich source for generating communication by movements.

He has been practicing yoga since 2014 to improve the mental process during dance improvisations and to enhance the contemporary dance class. He believes that practicing yoga supports a dancer in making better choices during an improvisation.