2009-Jan-1 - Luis Salgado's Latin Fusion DVD reviewed at Dance Magazine
Latin Fusion with Luis Salgado
Instructional DVD. $24.99. www.luissalgado.com.
Dancing in the Broadway hit In the Heights, Luis Salgado sways his way into the audience's hearts with his suave moves and upbeat personality. This charismatic persona shines on the small screen in his new instructional DVD, when Salgado teaches his unique blend of Latin style and hip hop. His in-depth knowledge of Latin movement and integrated style of choreography lay the groundwork for combinations in "Latin jazz" and "Latin lyrical." Afterward, watch the lessons transform into performances while Salgado and his team of dancers showcase his choreography in "music videos"--an added treat. But beginners beware: The pacing is swift and basic steps are glossed over quickly. However, the heartbeat and balmy groove of Latin dance remain the focus. You might not master the exact footwork--or hip work--but you will get a dose of true Latin passion.--Lauren Kay
2008-Jun-16 - Oh snap... check this out. Luis Salgado is a part of the best Musical of the Year
Andy Blankenbuehler wins the best choreography at the Tony Awards 2008 and thanks our Luis Salgado for his influence and inspiration on his work.
El mejor coreografo del 2008 es Andy Blankenbuehler y el tomo un segundo para agradecer el trabajo de nuestro Luis Salgado quien trabajo como coreografo asistente del mejor musical del 2008 In The Heights.
Como dice broadway world:
"Don't miss my favorite dancer on Broadway, Luis Salgado (Latin Assistant Choreographer) who is electrifying". -Charles Shubow
Now; come see a "cast of motivated young dancers who are allowed personal freedom of expression by the skilled choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler. This dance ensemble, filled with bright lights like Luis Salgado drives the action forward, even when the plot bogs down". - Benjamin Ivry
This weeks comments, reviews, news and buzz on Luis Salgado
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
"Luis Salgado exudes passion, not only for teaching and performing, but for every aspect of life. A risktaker, a dreamer, and a true artist in ever sense of the word, he is constantly aiming higher and reaching new heights. And the only way to reach those heights is to risk the fall." - Lindsay Dreyer
"By contrast, business is booming at In the Heights, whose vigour resides in its spiffy cast of motivated young dancers who are allowed personal freedom of expression by the skilled choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler. This dance ensemble, filled with bright lights like Luis Salgado drives the action forward, even when the plot bogs down." - Benjamin Ivry
"Don't forget to give Luis Salgado some credit for choreography too, he was the latin dance choreographer", "if you watch him in the club seen his dancing is FIERCE". - Mealz1042
Suck It Up & Dance! vlog (Episode 7): Because people like to say "salsa"
John and Colin have yet another crush: For this week's Suck It Up & Dance vlog, the assistant choreographer for Broadway's Tony-hogging In The Heights and major Latin dancing expert Luis Salgado pays them a visit! He's their stud-muffin/hot, buttered biscuit, to quote judge Nancy O'Meara.
PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE ESSENTIALS
By GEORGETT ROBERTS
June 5, 2008 --
WHEN: Sunday, June 8 START TIME: 11 a.m.
WHO TO LOOK FOR Dennis Rivera, union president, 1199 SEIU
GRAND MARSHAL:
CELEB SPOTTING:Frankie Negrón; Willie Chirino (International Godfather); Kat De Luna (Ambassador for the Youth); Xtreme Menudo (the new kids, not the vintage boy band); Elvis Crespo; N'Klave; Luis Salgado (Broadway's "In the Heights"); Fat Joe (Musical Godfather).
It's Tony's month and we've got our fingers crossed at EB & A for Luis Salgado and his amazing cast of In the Heights. In celebration of their 13 nominations, we designed a partnership for Luis to be the guest correspondent at http://www.tonylovers.com/ for the month of June. Plus, the Tony Lovers website was completely re-designed, so Luis was part of a NEW branding campaign to re-launch this dedicated Broadway website. Please be sure to visit and learn more about Luis as he shares his personal insight and experiences as an aspiring and emerging dancer/actor/choreographer and new founder of R.Evolucion Latina. Congratulations Luis and best of luck to the cast of In the Heights at the TONY's this weekend.
Luis Salgado and members of R.Evolucion Latina, respectively, some of the hottest cast from Broadway's In the Heights, stopped by the Power ofSHINE booth at DRA's Dancing at the Crossroads to celebrate our mission. John Rua choreographed a phenomenal piece entitled: 'Coming to America', and the members proudly wore their SHINE on stage to further promote the wristband's awareness campaign for dance charities. Its dancers like these, and artists like Luis that can be respected for their ability to come together and support ideas. Congratulations to In the Heights, R.Evolucion Latina and the crew that performed their piece in Times Square. SHINE ON BABY, SHINE ON!
This March, we made our way to93.1 Amor with client, Luis Salgado, where he was able to discuss his NEW organization, Revolucion Latina as well as his recent stardom on Broadway. Luis is a talented actor, choreographer, and dancer not to mention one of the most inspiring young men we've met in the dance field. He's building an impressive resume for himself on Broadway and in film.
We love working with Luis because he is an altruistic individual who shares the same dreams as we do. He's an inspiration to us all.
2008-Jun-16 - Oh snap... check this out. Luis Salgado is a part of the best Musical of the Year
Andy Blankenbuehler wins the best choreography at the Tony Awards 2008 and thanks our Luis Salgado for his influence and inspiration on his work.
El mejor coreografo del 2008 es Andy Blankenbuehler y el tomo un segundo para agradecer el trabajo de nuestro Luis Salgado quien trabajo como coreografo asistente del mejor musical del 2008 In The Heights.
Como dice broadway world:
"Don't miss my favorite dancer on Broadway, Luis Salgado (Latin Assistant Choreographer) who is electrifying". -Charles Shubow
Now; come see a "cast of motivated young dancers who are allowed personal freedom of expression by the skilled choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler. This dance ensemble, filled with bright lights like Luis Salgado drives the action forward, even when the plot bogs down". - Benjamin Ivry
This weeks comments, reviews, news and buzz on Luis Salgado
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
"Luis Salgado exudes passion, not only for teaching and performing, but for every aspect of life. A risktaker, a dreamer, and a true artist in ever sense of the word, he is constantly aiming higher and reaching new heights. And the only way to reach those heights is to risk the fall." - Lindsay Dreyer
"By contrast, business is booming at In the Heights, whose vigour resides in its spiffy cast of motivated young dancers who are allowed personal freedom of expression by the skilled choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler. This dance ensemble, filled with bright lights like Luis Salgado drives the action forward, even when the plot bogs down." - Benjamin Ivry
"Don't forget to give Luis Salgado some credit for choreography too, he was the latin dance choreographer", "if you watch him in the club seen his dancing is FIERCE". - Mealz1042
Suck It Up & Dance! vlog (Episode 7): Because people like to say "salsa"
John and Colin have yet another crush: For this week's Suck It Up & Dance vlog, the assistant choreographer for Broadway's Tony-hogging In The Heights and major Latin dancing expert Luis Salgado pays them a visit! He's their stud-muffin/hot, buttered biscuit, to quote judge Nancy O'Meara.
PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE ESSENTIALS
By GEORGETT ROBERTS
June 5, 2008 --
WHEN: Sunday, June 8 START TIME: 11 a.m.
WHO TO LOOK FOR Dennis Rivera, union president, 1199 SEIU
GRAND MARSHAL:
CELEB SPOTTING:Frankie Negrón; Willie Chirino (International Godfather); Kat De Luna (Ambassador for the Youth); Xtreme Menudo (the new kids, not the vintage boy band); Elvis Crespo; N'Klave; Luis Salgado (Broadway's "In the Heights"); Fat Joe (Musical Godfather).
It's Tony's month and we've got our fingers crossed at EB & A for Luis Salgado and his amazing cast of In the Heights. In celebration of their 13 nominations, we designed a partnership for Luis to be the guest correspondent at http://www.tonylovers.com/ for the month of June. Plus, the Tony Lovers website was completely re-designed, so Luis was part of a NEW branding campaign to re-launch this dedicated Broadway website. Please be sure to visit and learn more about Luis as he shares his personal insight and experiences as an aspiring and emerging dancer/actor/choreographer and new founder of R.Evolucion Latina. Congratulations Luis and best of luck to the cast of In the Heights at the TONY's this weekend.
Luis Salgado and members of R.Evolucion Latina, respectively, some of the hottest cast from Broadway's In the Heights, stopped by the Power ofSHINE booth at DRA's Dancing at the Crossroads to celebrate our mission. John Rua choreographed a phenomenal piece entitled: 'Coming to America', and the members proudly wore their SHINE on stage to further promote the wristband's awareness campaign for dance charities. Its dancers like these, and artists like Luis that can be respected for their ability to come together and support ideas. Congratulations to In the Heights, R.Evolucion Latina and the crew that performed their piece in Times Square. SHINE ON BABY, SHINE ON!
This March, we made our way to93.1 Amor with client, Luis Salgado, where he was able to discuss his NEW organization, Revolucion Latina as well as his recent stardom on Broadway. Luis is a talented actor, choreographer, and dancer not to mention one of the most inspiring young men we've met in the dance field. He's building an impressive resume for himself on Broadway and in film.
We love working with Luis because he is an altruistic individual who shares the same dreams as we do. He's an inspiration to us all.
It’s easy to look at dancer Luis Salgado’s life story and attribute his success to luck or simply assume he was always at the right place at the right time. But as we chatted at the famous Brooklyn Diner in midtown Manhattan, I discovered that there is so much more to this Broadway and film star’s success than serendipity.
Throughout his life, Salgado, who you may recognize from the film “Step Up 2: The Streets” or the Broadway hit “In the Heights,” never believed for one second that he could not accomplish whatever he set out to do. He visualized his goals, told himself he would achieve them, and then went for them with all his heart, even when others were skeptical.
“There were people who said dance does nothing but give fun, but dance has given me everything, opportunities to see the world, go to Japan, Germany, Italy, Greece. Being in New York City on Broadway, paying my rent. I bought my mom’s first car,” he reveals. “And they never imagined it would be that way, but I pursued what I wanted to do and that is what opened the doors.”
Luis Salgado break dancing in Peru
Photo: Alexandra Molina
Even his mother encouraged him to pursue something more conventional, like law or medicine, but Salgado refused. The moment he set foot in a dance studio at the age of nine, he knew immediately that his life would be far from conventional.
“Right then in that moment, the second I set foot on that stage, I thought, ‘Wow, I can do this!’ I discovered this passion very, very early on. I didn’t see myself doing anything else at that moment. So, I watched all the music videos and tried to learn the routines by myself and reinvent them into my style.”
On his journey, Salgado encountered a few key teachers who helped him find his way, one of the reasons he loves giving back and teaching young kids today. When he met his first mentor, José Javier “Pepito” Rivera, he was nine years old and had just moved back to Puerto Rico after spending a difficult year living in Hawaii with his father.
Salgado explains, “Dance was my savior. It allowed me to relearn who I was at that age. Coming back from Hawaii, where I didn’t speak English, and having all these differences in my life, I discovered freedom and who I could be through the arts, thanks to this teacher.”
Rivera was running a small arts program at Salgado’s public school. While participating in the program, which included weekly acting and dancing performances, his schoolwork improved drastically as well as his disposition and outlook. Through dance, he was able to discover and come to terms with his identity at a crucial time in his life.
Salgado, who knows firsthand the importance and power of the arts, especially in the lives of young people, laments the loss of arts programs in public schools in his native Puerto Rico, in the United States and around the world.
“The bottom line is that there were more opportunities in dance in the public school system back then, but now I feel like there are less and less in Puerto Rico and here,” Salgado reveals. “Everywhere I go I think, ‘What is happening to the arts?’ People are just trying to make money fast and we respect and value less and less the arts. I think that disconnects people with themselves, but people need to discover who they are.”
After completing Rivera’s after-school program, Salgado continued to train with his mentor, but also took advantage of the opportunities at a nearby studio. Doors began opening, and at the age of 17, he landed his first gig as a backup dancer for singer Jailene Cintrón. And in the midst of this hectic schedule, between performing and training, Salgado realized he owed everything to Rivera, his first mentor, and wanted to give back in the very same way.
So when the opportunity to teach jazz at the local studio came his way, he jumped on it, even though there were only eight students enrolled at the time. After teaching a few lessons, Salgado grew frustrated with the direction of the failing school and gave the owner a business proposition. A natural leader, he said, “Give me the opportunity to run things for two months. If I develop this and get more students, then you give me the opportunity to pay the rent and make it my own dance school.”
The studio owner took a chance on Salgado, who surpassed every expectation. He took those eight students, rented out a theater, and put on a successful Christmas production. Word spread throughout the community, and after a few months, the young, optimistic teacher had acquired 200 new students.
Inspired by his positive attitude, kind spirit, and most importantly his passion, aspiring dancers from all over the community flocked to take class with Salgado.
“I was in college and I was working, so people started to know my name, but I think people came to my class because I loved it and I wanted to be there,” he professes. “I loved being in a room where I could create stuff with students, to have bodies to play with. I was somebody they could play and create with.”
Through teaching, Salgado began learning more about himself and the kind of dancer he wanted to become. “Who was I to be teaching jazz then?” Salgado asks with a laugh, looking back on the experience. “I started dance in public school and I never had a strong, technical foundation, but it’s what you do with it. I had the opportunity to learn and discover with my students.”
Salgado’s no-holds-barred attitude carried him through the rest of his career, ultimately taking him to New York City at the age of 22 to pursue his dream of dancing on Broadway. A risk for sure, but one that Salgado knew was necessary to achieve his goal.
“Leaving my mom behind was hard, but not the hardest thing to do,” he reveals. “It was hardest to leave my school behind. I was attached to 300 students who were with me, trusting what I was doing with them, seeing them grow and develop their own path. It was a journey I wanted to be with for them, but I also had to follow my own heart and grow for myself. If I didn’t take that risk I wouldn’t be doing what I came here to do, which is Broadway.”
After only three weeks of work/study at Broadway Dance Center, Salgado landed his first gig dancing at Madison Square Garden with pop stars Thalía and Paulina Rubio. Shortly after, he received his first musical theatre job in the Rockland County production of “Evita.” And according to Salgado, that is when everything really started to fall into place.
Not long after, he was selected to appear in the Broadway show “The Mambo Kings.” The show was ultimately cancelled, but the experience led Salgado to the most important connection in his adult life, Sergio Trujillo, the original choreographer of “In the Heights” who brought him on board with the production.
For Salgado, those connections and mentors have been the most important part of his journey through dance. He explains that some people in the business network incorrectly, throwing their resumes and headshots at every teacher and choreographer they happen to meet. But Salgado did things differently; he made his most significant connections in a pure and honest way.
“You just have to do your thing,” explains Salgado. “If you’re doing your own thing with all your heart, your light is shining and people will see it. Now I’m friends with so many beautiful people from all over the world.”
Many of those connections he made along the way have opened doors beyond the Broadway stage. Salgado has appeared in a few feature films including “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,” “Enchanted,” “Across the Universe,” and “Step Up 2: The Streets.” Working on films has helped him discover another world of possibilities with dance, one that he would like to continue developing and exploring.
“When you add the camera to your work, it adds so many more possibilities as a choreographer,” Salgado confesses. “The camera can do so many things. When I was assistant choreographer in ‘Enchanted,’ I saw the whole process and everything that’s behind it. I thought it was brilliant. So, it’s a new passion of mine.”
However, nothing compares to dancing on the Broadway stage for a packed house, Salgado revealed to me. When he gets that immediate response from the audience as he dances underneath the Puerto Rican flag in “In the Heights,” he feels more alive than ever.
But Salgado’s passion for life goes beyond the stage and the camera lens. A dedicated humanitarian, he believes in giving back to the Latin American community. Recently, he spearheaded a program called Revolución Latina, which he describes as “an open invitation to experience the greatness of an active Latin community” as well as “an artistic movement with the means of strengthening, educating and collaborating with each other through their art.” More information about Revolución Latina can be found on their Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/revolucionlatina.
Luis Salgado exudes passion, not only for teaching and performing, but for every aspect of life. A risktaker, a dreamer, and a true artist in ever sense of the word, he is constantly aiming higher and reaching new heights. And the only way to reach those heights is to risk the fall.
“You have to be willing to risk it all, to give that extra mile, to go beyond because that’s what it takes. If you want to commit to something you have to commit to something,” Salgado states emphatically. “I’m not saying I’m the best. There are so many talented people out there with all the technique in the world, but dance was my passion. And the drive to do what I want to do is what has allowed me to accomplish all of this.”
And with his sights currently set on acting, there are certainly more accomplishments on the horizon for Luis Salgado.
El actor puertorriqueño Luis Salgado ha llegado a Broadway en momentos en que la escena teatral neoyorquina comienza a sentir el roce de la crisis económica que enfrenta el país.
Su arribo ha sido con el musical “In the Heights”, que se presentó con éxito en Off-Broadway por varios meses y que promete seguir su paso ascendente en el teatro Richard Rodgers.
Este vegalteño, radicado en Nueva York hace seis años, trabaja como asistente del coreógrafo estadounidense Andy Blankenbueh, a quien en un principio debió instruir respecto al baile latino.
Además de este rol, el puertorriqueño interpreta a “José”, en este musical que relata vivencias de jóvenes adultos en los clubes nocturnos del sector neoyorquino Washington Heights.
“Toda la semana ha estado lleno”, dijo vía telefónica sobre el musical que lleva poco más de una semana en cartelera. El teatro tiene capacidad para 1,344 personas.
El artista narró que siempre trata de mantenerse informado sobre los movimientos de la industria y pudo así detallar que “In the Heights” se encuentra en el quinto lugar en la lista de espectáculos que han logrado un lleno completo.
Con la crisis económica, sólo las grandes y ya conocidas producciones siguen llenándose por completo. Sin embargo, una menos pomposa como “In the Heights” ha logrado cautivar.
“Somos los que llenamos a capacidad, pero no los más que hacen income (ingresos)”, aclaró en referencia a los altos costos de boletos de las grandes producciones, que logran el ingreso mayor.
“Y eso se tiene que celebrar. Somos un show latino y viene gente de todo el mundo a ver nuestra cultura... estamos en Broadway sin ser ladrones ni prostitutas, estamos celebrando nuestra cultura y se siente rico”, añadió.
Con la llegada oficial de este musical a los teatros del importante sector de Broadway, Luis Salgado confesó dejar atrás los lamentos por la cancelación del musical “The Mambo Kings”, que representaba unos de sus primeros grandes pasos en esta industria.
Ahora, además de su labor como asistente de coreógrafo, apunta a lograr un personaje principal en algún musical.
“Sería un lujo porque pienso que hay muchas personas que se lo merecen. Nueva York es un sitio en donde tienes que ser tú y le doy gracias a Dios por lo que me ha permitido hacer. Pero igual, hay personas que llevan tiempo aquí, creo que Dios sabe dónde pone a uno”, comentó.
El artista, que participa en la película “Step Up 2 the Streets”, actualmente en cartelera, también impulsa su movimiento Revolución Latina, en donde se destacan los logros de los artistas hispanos.
One of the evening's flashiest dancers, Luis Salgado was still reeling at the party from the ecstasy of his Broadway bow. "We did this prayer right before going on stage, and the emotions were erupting," he said. "We all got together and collected the energy before going on stage, and we felt like we needed 30 more minutes to get ready after that because the emotions were so high and the stakes were so high. On a night like tonight, when dreams come true for so many people, Lin-Manuel Miranda put together a show that represents the Latin community —yet it's open to the world. How thrilled can you be!"
Among the first-nighters: Spamalot Tony winner Sara Ramirez (now of "Grey's Anatomy"), Curtains' David Hyde Pierce, Sports Illustrated 2008 swimsuit model Jessica Gomes, Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears, Latin singer Huey Dunbar, Yerba Buena band member Andres Levin, New York secretary of state Honorable Lorraine Cortes-Vazques, art curator Yvonne Force Villareal, Sarah Paulsen ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and Crimes of the Heart), "Jumper" director Doug Liman, a foursome from Next to Normal (actor Brian d'Arcy James, composer Tom Kitt, director Michael Greif and assistant director Anthony Rapp), Oscar-winning songwriter Stephen Schwartz, Tony-winning songwriters Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flaherty, Young Frankenstein's Sutton Foster, Senator Frank Lautenberg, "Imus in the Morning" regular Bo Dietl, Alexie Gilmore of "New Amsterdam," Zoe McLellan of "Dirty, Sexy Money" and Jim Cramer of CNBC's "Mad Money."
Realmente lo mejor, the most recent cd of Mexican singer Julieta Venegas let you taste some of the best songs that this Mexican singer/songwriter made during the eleven years of her musical career.. Venegas is making music since she was a child...: ´I started playing music since I was 8 years old, when my parents sent me to piano lessons. Since then it has always been my passion, first playing the piano, later singing and writing songs´read more
Jessica Alba: Latina of the year expects a baby
In december 2007 she was chosen Latina of the year on ZLM. Zona Latina Magazine dedicades a page to pretty Jessica whose body, according to some British scientists, reaches mathematical perfection. If that will continue to be so? Jessica is the next in a long line of Latina stars who's getting a baby!.
The Hissip: Latin gossip
by the Hissiper
Jennifer Lopez Gives Birth to Twins
Congratulations to Yeni and Marky. They are parents to a boy and girl born in a Long Island Hospital.
Nelly Furtado in Spanish
Nelly Furtado delighted fans by performing in Spanish at the Viña del Mar Festival in Chile. Before embarking in South America, Nelly made had already conveyed her appreciation for the culture.
“I definitely feel Hispanic, I feel Latina. I have a very very strong connection with my culture. Singing in Spanish and singing in Portuguese is an extension of my love for my culture.”
Funny that her comments sound less condescending than when La Beyonce expressed similar sentimientos.
Eva Longoria 'badly dressed'
E.Lo might be the apple of Tony Parker’s eyes, but she’s not getting any carino from animal rights organization PETA. The organization placed her on their list of 2008 worst-dressed celebrities, saying:
“Eva Longoria is short on compassion. In her trashy furs, she looks like the streetwalker of Wisteria Lane. Eva is one “desperate housewife” in need of a quickie divorce - from her stylist.”
Christina Aguilera and Child
Looks like People Magazine won the bidding war for first pics of ChrissyAgui’s creatura. Max looks so cute. He reminds me of those little babies in those Anne Geddes book in the album and picture frame aisle at Ross. A month old and counting, Maxito is certainly bringing out the motherly side of ChrissyAgui:“I can’t stop staring at him, studying him. You can’t believe you created this. Me and my husband couldn’t be happier.”
International stardom, platinum-selling CDs and hot DVDs aside, ChrissyAgui is convinced that Max is her most wonderful accomplishment...
Juanes Has a Superstitious Fashion Sense
Know the term metrosexual? Looks like Juanes is one of those. The Columbian gave the UK’s The Independent fashion columnist Charlotte Philby a little insight into his fashion sense:
“How you look in something depends on your attitude. I started to choose my own clothes when I was a teenager. I discovered that I had an independent mind and was able to build my own style, which at the time came with the music I was listening to.”
And get this: Juanes has lucky boots: “Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve worn the same style of black leather boots; they help me feel safe when I walk. They protect me both literally and metaphorically against all the dangers in life. When you begin to explore the world, you find many trials and tricks that you must be wary of. I travel so much that it’s important not to lose your way, spiritually. I feel this style of shoe can guide me when the road ahead is unclear.”
The Hissiper comments: "Gee, Juanesito, I hope you rotate them and don’t get attached to any particular one. With the humid weather in Columbia, I can imagine all the mildew that’s accrued in Juanesito’s boots. Remember to rotate your boots stash, querido."
Double Premiere for Luis Salgado, Latin-Fusion Choreographer
In the Heights, a Broadway production, and Step Up 2, a feature dance film, are two hip-shaking, attention-grabbing experiences portraying the work of NYC dancer/actor/choreographer, Luis Salgado-both premiering last Valentines day.
Andy Blankenbueler, Choreographer for In the Heights: : “With his head of curly dark hair and his unbelievable finesse and charisma, I knew that Luis Salgado would take my vision and magnify it with his unmatched abilities.”
Jamal Sims, Choreographer for Step Up 2, had this to say, “ I feel so honored to have him in our film.”
In the Heights, named “BEST MUSICAL OF THE YEAR” by New York Magazine, is a story of finding oneself and realizing that being true to your own persona is what really matters.
Latin Revolution
Salgado is hoping to bring Latin Artists together through his artistic movement Revolución Latina (Latin Revolution) Coming Spring 2008. The movement focuses on celebrating the lives, careers, triumphs and existence of all Latino artists in and out of the New York Performing Arts Community.
New York, NY -- Luis Salgado started his career at a young age and developed a passion for theater and dance that led to the creation of his own company and dance school in Puerto Rico. That passion has led him to Broadway.
Salgado has worked as a dancer with renowned Latin artists such as Paulina Rubio, Thalía, Yerba Buena, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Olga Tañon, and many others. Some recent theatre works include: Evita, Aida,Fame on 42nd St, and recently the postponed on Broadway show, TheMambo Kings. TV & Film credits include Traps, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, Across the Universe directed by Julie Taymor and is working now in Enchanted.
As a choreographer he has put his style into industrials, musicals, casino shows and recording artists. Some of his works includes: Power And Passion (Germany), Super Star Live (Louisiana), Zap II (Japan), Amigo Duende: el musical (Puerto Rico), Los Desertores/The Dropouts, and the Larry Laboe Tour among many.
Dancer/actor/choreographer Salgado with the intense vision in the optimistic possibilities of art, has developed Revolucion Latina, a movement that celebrates human success and growth, in particular of the Latino artists and performers, who with their choices and actions are great role models for others.
Luis left his native Puerto Rico with nothing but a dream, of one day becoming part of a Broadway show. With a lot of hard work and dedication, he is about to live out his dream with a rare talent that is here to stay. Luis strongly believes that everything is possible. If you work hard enough for what you want there are no limitation that can ever stop you.
This past Valentine’s Day, Luis Salgado sprinkled some Latino flavor into a theater production and a movie routine. In the Heights, a Broadway production, and Step Up 2, a feature dance film (which opened on February 14th), are two hip-shaking, attention-grabbing experiences portraying the work of Salgado. In the Heights, named “Best Musical of the Year” by New York Magazine, is a story of finding oneself and realizing that being true to your own persona is what really matters. Luis is credited as ‘Latin Assistant Choreographer’. The show began its run on February 14th, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue). Tickets are available through or by calling Ticketmaster at 212-307-4100.
Left Luis Salgado (Alejandro) and far Right (Director) Jon Shu...Still looking for the name of the lady in the center, If you know it share it with us...
The follow-up to the smash hit “Step Up,” which ignited theaters in August 2006. When rebellious street dancer Andie (BRIANA EVIGAN) lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the school’s hottest dancer Chase (ROBERT HOFFMAN) to form a crew of classmate outcasts to compete in Baltimore’s underground dance battle The Streets, she ultimately finds a way to live her dream while building a bridge between her two separate worlds.
El Especial NYC
Primera Hora:
Espectáculos Así
Luis Salgado en musical
Jueves, 7 de Febrero de 2008
El actor Luis Salgado se apresta a comenzar las funciones de preestreno la próxima semana, y a partir del 9 de marzo para público general, de la producción “In the Heights”, en el Teatro Richard Rodgers, en Nueva York.
Anteriormente, este musical le mereció un Drama Desk Award.
“Esta puesta tiene un significado especial para mí porque representa lo bueno de nuestra gente. Celebra la vida y existen muy pocos musicales que hagan esto por nuestra comunidad”, expresó por escrito quien compartirá en escena con el puertorriqueño Antonio “Tony” Chiroldes.
People is writing to us on things from revolución latina. Sorry! We dont run that page, we just have this page for Luis as fans but we have no control over the pages that are run by Luis salgado or his team. We would hate for them not to get the mails so please send it to: http://www.myspace.com/revolucionlatina
Congratulations to Luis on all his great work. We know that in the last 2 months he has work in 2 movies one of them "Step Up 2" where he played the role of Alejandro. Our man is makinig it to Hollywood.
Lima - Perú, (ORBITA).- Luis Salgado, bailarín y coreógrafo de Broadway quién a su vez perteneció al cuerpo de baile de reconocidos artistas como Thalia, Paulina Rubio, Olga Tañon y Gilberto Santa Rosa, llega a Lima para preparar a jóvenes artistas integrantes del show musical MEZCLA, espectáculo de danza, teatro, música que vienen preparando Raquel en Llamas y D1 Dance de Vanía Masías.
Este reconocido coreógrafo, viene especialmente para transmitir su experiencia internacional a más de 40 jóvenes artistas peruanos (integrantes del elenco de la CIA de Baile D1 Dance, la ONG Ángeles y del ballet municipal de Lima) que serán parte del elenco de Mezcla, donde se pondrá en escena diferentes estilos de danza como hip hop, break dance, jazz, ballet, flamenco, zapateo peruano, entre otros.
Cabe resaltar que Salgado participó en 3 películas de Hollywood, como "Across The universa", dirigida por Julie Taymor, "American Gangster", con Russel Crow y Denzel Washington y el fílmico de Disney "Enchanted", con Susan Sarandon y Patrick Dempsey, donde Luis hizo las veces de un asistente de coreografía en la escena del Parque Central.
Participó como el doble de Diego Luna en la película "Havana Nigths Dirty Dancing 2", además ha viajado como maestro a Utah, Guatemala, Alemania, Japón, Puerto Rico y México.
Mezcla, que será dirigido por Vania Masias en co-dirección con Rocío Tovar, se pondrá en escena a partir del 15 de noviembre en el Teatro Peruano Japonés. Las entradas ya están a la venta en Teletickets. Si desea más información sobre Luis Salgado ingresar a la página web http://luissalgado.com/
2007-Aug-14 - LUIS SALGADO; NOW ON THE BIG SCREEN!!!!
OH MY GOSH!!! HERE ARE SOME NEWS ABOUT HIS CAREER, NOW ON THE BIG SCREEN!!!! HE IS JUST WONDERFUL!!! JUDGE BY YOURSELF AND ADD YOUR COMMENTS IN HIS SITE!!!!
AQUI ESTA MI AMIGO Luis CON LAS NUEVAS DE SU CARRERA EN ACTUACION!!!! QUEDO EXACTO!!! BRAVO POR TI!!!! VEANLO POR UDS MISMOS Y ESCRIBAN SUS COMENTARIOS. A ORGULLO, ESTO SI ES TALENTO GENUINO!!!
WE HAVE ANOTHER VERY NEW "BEST & HANDSOME ACTOR" IN HOLYWOOD!!! YESSS!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
FELICIDADES, MUCHAS FELICIDADES A ESTE CHICO GUAPO Y TALENTOSO. VEAN LOS 'REELS' EN LA CARTA DE LUIS SALGADO QUE SIGUE, QUE DISFRUTEN DE NUESTRO NUEVO ACTOR FAVORITO!!! (PUERTORRIQUENO! PA' QUE NO HABLEN!!!)
PLEASE ENJOY MY FRIEND'S "REELS" THAT ARE IN THE LETTER DOWN HERE. HE IS A REPRESENTATION OF OUR "PUERTORRICAN'S YOUNG AND TALENTED" EN LA PANTALLA GIGANTE" (IN THE BIG SCREEN).
DISFRUTA DE LAS COREOGRAFIAS Y BAILES TAMBIEN!!!! CHEQUEA LAS DIRECCIONES ELECTRONICAS ADJUNTAS EN SU CARTA, AQUI, DALE PA'BAJO!!! NO TE LO PIERDAS!!!!
XOXOXO,
IVE
Some comments:
-"CALIENTE!!!!!!
Hot, energetic, stylish, creative and brief, just to give them a taste! I like that part where the dancers seem to "melt".
-"eres iNCREIBLE muy natural,, en el personaje, me gusto tu body language ytu intensa mirada eres todo un profesional y como te sabes todas tis lines.. ene sa conversacion tan intensa se que no es facil.. a ti se ve super natural felicidades"
-"Excelente, convincente y muy sutil, muy natural, nada de sobre actuacion."
PS
Luis Salgado is playing Alejandro in the new film Step Up 2. We have to do a group to go see him.
2007-Aug-14 - Luis Salgado y Jaime Camil con ritmo en Mexico
Gente y Figura
Camil con ritmo
Junto a Luis Salgado
Después de su exitosa novela en Televisa, Jaime participó en el papel estelar de la obra Peter Pan. Ahora, el actor de 34 años se prepara para el musical El diluvio que viene y lo hace tomando un taller de baile con Luis Salgado, un reconocido coreógrafo de Broadway. Sin embargo, estará sólo tres semanas en escena ya que participará en la cinta Dare to love me, que se rodará en Rumania.
Nota: Creo que este articulo tiene algunos errores pero aqui lo comparto talcual.
hey how are you?
can i just say that ur THE BEST dancer i have ever seen and ur the sweetest person ever, thanks for always like talking to me and like saying hi, and not thinking i am a stalker for comming to the show all the time ( at least i don't think you think that) lol
i'll c ya on the 15th!
hey Luis! How are you? I just have to say, you are probably the best dancer I have ever seen. I'm coming to the dance clinic thing with Meghan on Thursday (maybe even Tuesday =] ) so I'm really excited for that. Talk to you soon!
awww you're welcome. seriously though, you are so cute. thank YOU for being so sweet and always taking the time to talk to us. i can't wait to dance with you and seth. i'm so excited
Luis OMG SO HOT AMAAAAAAZZZZZIIIIINNNNNGGGG DANCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2007-Jul-8 - Mas aventuras de nuestro Luis Salgado y Jaime Camil juntos en Accion pro el arte
Estas fotos corresponden a los días 2, 3 y 4 de julio de 2007 y son del taller que Jaime organizó para los jóvenes bailarines a cargo de su amigo bailarín Luis Salgado.
2007-Jul-8 - Jaime Camil y Luis Salgado un duo dinamico!
La visita de Jaime Camil junto a su amigo Luis Salgado a la escuela de los timbiriche fue todo un exito... Hablan de todo un poco, y Jaime les presenta a Luis quien dio un taller de Baile. Juntos hacen la Filosofía "Camil-Salgado".... Una verdaderamente interesante.
Estos dos bellos seres hacen una pareja muy dinamica y optimista!
Parte I
Parte II
Parte III
Parte IV
Comentarios:
Que buenos los videos, con los dos en plan filosofia de la vida y descubre tu vocacion...
Que buenos consejos les ha dado a estos futuros artistas.
Me encanta que les cuente lo dura que puede ser la profesión de artista y que les diga que tienen que aprender a escuchar las criticas que les dan los timbiriches y los demas profesionales.
Jaime Camil visita la escuela de 'La nueva Banda Timbiriche' para convivir con los alumnos y regalarles una clase de baile
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO, México, jul. 3, 2007.- Jaime Camil, acompañado del profesor Luis Salgado, visitó a los alumnos de la escuela Buscando a la banda Timbiriche, con el objetivo de regalarles una clase de danza.
"Veo el programa de Timbiriche, soy totalmente Timbiriche, me emociona mucho el programa y digo, caray viene Luis, por qué no les damos un regalo. En vez de llevar 28 chavos al 'Broadway dance center', les traemos un instructor", comentó Camil.
Por su parte, el profesor encargado de esta clase, Luis Salgado, agregó: "Aquí vamos a dar una clase de dos horas en las que pensamos cubrir un poquito de 'Hip hop' y 'Latin'; Ayer estábamos viendo el programa y nos dimos cuenta que técnicamente hay que trabajar algunas cosas como parte del regalo que Jaime les está dando".
Así mismo, Camil reveló ser fan del programa y estar emocionado por los chicos de la escuela, quienes junto con su gran disposición, demuestran tener un enorme potencial. Agregó que antes de la clase, compartió con ellos, su experiencia de actor en cine, teatro y televisión.
"Vengo a platicar con ellos. Si tienen dudas, con mucho gusto voy a darles mi punto de vista de lo que es esta carrera se trata. Estoy abierto y dispuesto a que me pregunten lo que quieran y si mi experiencia les puede servir de algo, la compartiré con mucho gusto", finalizó.
Las imágenes que váis a ver a continucación están tomadas del espacio del bailarín, coreógrafo y actor Luis Salgado, que compartió con Jaime escenario y risas en la época de "The Mambo Kings" http://viviendoalmaximo.spaces.live.com
Si Luis fuera mas altito le pasaba de hermano! Los dos son hermosos!
2007-Jun-26 - Regalará Jaime Camil taller coreográfico de la mano de Luis Salgado
Regalará Camil taller coreográfico
Jaime Camil intentará crecer este proyecto para preparar a más gente.
JAIME CAMIL: "Quiero que sea un regalo que yo dé cada año a la comedia musical. En el 2008, trataré de encontrar patrocinadores, porque está bastante carito el asunto, pero vale la pena".
MÉXICO, D.F. (Agencia Reforma) La Voz, Junio 15, 2007
Con el fin de incentivar a los bailarines de comedia musical mexicanos, Jaime Camil les regalará un taller de tres días con el coreógrafo puertorriqueño Luis Salgado, quien ha trabajado en Broadway y ha sido maestro de figuras como Denise Quiñones.
La idea, dice el actor, le surgió pues considera que muchos de los artistas nacionales no tienen la posibilidad de viajar al extranjero y tomar cursos para mejorar su técnica.
"De repente algunos compañeros están conformes con su chamba y no siento las ganas y fuerza que tienen los bailarines en Broadway, que van a hacer una audición y saben que si no hacen su mejor esfuerzo, hay 300 detrás de ellos que lo pueden hacer igual o mejor.
publicidad
"Entonces, se me ocurrió regalar a 80 personas un taller con Luis Salgado, quien vendrá el 2,3 y 4 de julio".
En el curso del puertorriqueño, quien trabajó con Camil en la puesta Mambo Kings y al inicio de su carrera se desempeñó como bailarín de cantantes como Jailene Cintrón, Olga Tañón, Paulina Rubio y Thalía, los bailarines aprenderán a preparar una audición, además de diferentes estilos de danza y técnicas de calentamiento.
El actor aclara que todas las personas que participen en el taller lo harán a través de invitación.
"Queremos invitar a buenos bailarines que estén activos, como también a bailarines que sean una promesa para la comedia musical, que estén empezando, pero que tengan aptitudes. Dos coreógrafos que trabajaron conmigo en Amor sin Barreras me van a ayudar a escoger a las personas indicadas".
San Juan, Puerto Rico :: viernes, 8 de junio de 2007
Otro acierto para Luis Salgado
El musical “In the Heights”, en el que participa el boricua Luis Salgado, recibió nueve nominaciones a los Drama Desk Awards. (Foto suministrada)
En abril, fue su selección como “Gipsy of the Month”, por su ascendente trayectoria en la industria de los musicales de Broadway. Ahora, el actor y bailarín puertorriqueño radicado en Nueva York, Luis Salgado, tiene otro motivo para celebrar: las nueve nominaciones del musical donde participa (“In the Heights”) a los premios Drama Desk Awards, y el premio especial de la pieza por “Mejor montaje”.
Debido a la naturaleza del premio “Mejor Montaje” ninguno de los miembros del elenco (cantantes, bailarines y actores) pueden ser premiados individualmente en categorías apartes, ya que este premio conlleva automáticamente un reconocimiento al trabajo logrado por cada uno de los artistas.
“Un actor ve más asequible una nominación a un Premio Hola o Ace... y de repente logré un Drama Desk Award. Es un premio súper importante que me motiva a seguir aprendiendo. Aparte de ese reconocimiento, hay tres nominaciones vinculadas a la coreografía de la pieza. Éstas me enorgullecen enorme y particularmente porque fui asistente del coreógrafo, Andy Blankenbuehler, en el montaje de los ritmos latinos como merengue, salsa, hip hop y reggaetón a través de los que narramos la historia”, expresa el artista vegalteño de 26 años justo horas antes de asistir a una especie de antesala a los Drama Desk Awards, en la que será reconocido junto al resto del elenco.
Otras nominaciones del musical, aparte de “Mejor Coreografía”, son: “Mejor Musical”, “Mejor Director en un Musical”, “Mejor Orquestación”, “Mejor Repertorio”, “Mejor Diseño de Escenografía” y “Mejor Sonido”. Este año, la ceremonia se celebrará el 20 de mayo en La Guardia Concert Hall en la ciudad de Nueva York. Será transmitida el 27 de mayo por PBS y el 24 de mayo a través de www.theatermania.com. Como si fuera poco, “In the Heights” ha logrado otras nominaciones: tres a los Lucille Lortel Awards, cuatro a los Outer Critics Circle Awards y dos a los Drama League Awards.
En el musical “In the Heights” el boricua Luis Salgado interpreta el personaje de José así como se desempeña como asistente de coreógrafo en todo lo relacionado con los ritmos latinos. (Foto suministrada)
Los Drama Desk Awards fueron creados en 1955 (bajo el nombre Vernon Rice Awards) para reconocer las producciones montadas en Nueva York y presentadas en y fuera de Broadway. Esto, a diferencia de los Tony Awards, que sólo premian a las producciones presentadas en Broadway. Los Drama Desk Awards se han convertido en el primer paso de muchos artistas y de muchas piezas para ganar mayor reconocimiento dentro de Estados Unidos y a escala internacional. Entre las piezas premiadas que luego han evolucionado en la industria musical están “The Boys”, “Driving Miss Daisy” y “Steel Magnolias”. Por mencionar algunos receptores que posteriormente se han convertido en luminarias del teatro, figuran: Edward Albee, Wendy Wasserstein, Ryan Ward, Sada Thompson y José Quintero. Luis Salgado espera ser también parte de ese grupo que aprovecha no sólo las nominaciones y reconocimientos obtenidos, sino la experiencia y el aprendizaje, para trascender en la historia del teatro y las artes escénicas.
El musical “In the Heights” y su elenco han recibido críticas muy positivas de la prensa especializada en la Gran Urbe. El periodista Juan Fernando Merino, de El Diario de Nueva York, escribió recientemente: “Ha sido un sueño esporádico... y esquivo. Desde el enorme éxito de ‘West Side Story’ en 1957, de vez en cuando, muy de vez en cuando, un musical con tema y protagonistas latinos aparece en Broadway, off-Broadway o en algún teatro experimental... ¿(Será éste) un exitoso Upper Upper West Side Story de nuestros tiempos? El sueño no es inalcanzable a juzgar por la excelente música, la vibrante letra, el elenco de excepcionales cantantes y bailarines —que incluye una ganadora del premio Tony (Priscilla López) y varios nominados— así como el apoyo decidido de unos productores que han creído en el proyecto y le han brindado su apoyo para un lanzamiento por lo alto y en un teatro, el 37 Arts, con capacidad para un público numeroso”.
THEY SAY THE NEON LIGHTS
ARE ON...
ON BROADWAY, AND OFF
LATINO LIGHTS
ON BROADWAY
In a special edition of our acclaimed portfolio section, we bring you the hottest names that you have never heard from in the world of professional theater: our Latino stars on Broadway.
By Wendy Pedrero Photos for Latino Leaders by Jennifer MacFarlane
"They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway, they say there's always magic in the air..." - From the Song "On Broadway"
Like the famous song, Latinos have been making magic in this theater Mecca from the start. Names like Rita Moreno, Chita Rivera, and more recently Sara Ramirez and others are clear prove that Latinos have long made their mark in this high-spirited industry.
The following are some examples of Latinos whose work, both on and off Broadway is helping to establish beyond reasonable doubt that when it comes to the stage, Latinos are simply there to stay.
From the founders of New York's most prominent Latino Theater Festival -TeatroStageFest, to the cast members of off-Broadway's hottest new show, the Latino-themed In the Heights, here are the faces of Latinos on Broadway today, and you should acquaint yourself with them, because no doubt you will be seeing them again in the future.
Our special thanks to Sharon Jensen at Non-Traditional Casting and to Wayne Wolfe and Matt Stapleton at Bartlow & Hartman P.R. for their invaluable help in putting this project together.
Susana Tubert Executive Producer, Director
Who she is: Susana is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Latino International Theater Festival of New York and Executive Producer of TeatroStageFest. TeatroStageFest began in 2003, whenMayor Michael Bloombergappointed José W. Fernández as a Commissioner on theNYC Latin Media & Entertainment Commission.
Why she's here: Susana is the recipient of the prestigious Theatre Communications Group/National Endowment for the Arts Director Fellowship, and has been recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Latinas by El Diario/La Prensa. Susana has directed at major regional and New York theaters, including last summer's Viva la Vida!, starring Tony Award-winner Mercedes Ruehl, and the hit musical Four Guys Named Jose.
What the critics are saying about her: "Susana Tubert's direction is excellent. It manages to give the play a dynamism that sustains the show's rhythm without gaps and the audience always involved and entertained." Mario Rojas - Comunidad
Lin-Manuel Miranda Actor, Playwright
Who he is: Lin-Manuel is a writer and actor who works in New York City. As a founding member of Freestyle Love Supreme, an improvisational comedy and freestyle rap group, "Lin-Man" has toured internationally to high acclaim.
Why he's here: Lin-Manuel's first feature musical, In the Heights, an original hip-hop salsa musical, premiered on February of 2007 to rave reviews. It is still being staged successfully at New York's Theater 37.
What the critics are saying about him: "Heights is a tour de force for composer Miranda's virtuosic musical skills, and a valentine to both the old neighborhood and his family. His lyrics and flow are revelatory. His presence gives the musical specificity." Jerry Weinstein - Curtain Up
José W. Fernández Co-founder and Chairman of the Board,
TeatroStageFest
Who he is: José is a partner at the law firm Latham & Watkins, LLC, and he heads Mayor Michael Bloomberg's NYC Latin Media & Entertainment Commission, which was formed to promote New York City as a center of Latino entertainment.
Why he is here: As commissioner of Latin Media & Entertainment, José joined Susana Tubert, and together they founded the Latino International Theater Festival of New York. As an attorney, José has handled some of Latin America's most complex acquisitions for corporations and private equity firms and has advised on financings, privatizations, securities offerings, arbitrations and joint ventures.
What he's said about the festival:"Bringing this festival to fruition has been a dream come true. The time has come for a celebration of theater from three continents that will appeal to Latino and non-Latino audiences alike. We are grateful to Mayor Bloomberg and our visionary sponsors for helping to make TeatroStageFest a reality."
Luis Salgado Dancer, Actor
Who he is: Luis started his dancing career at a young age and developed a passion for theater and dance that led to the creation of his own company and dance school in Puerto Rico when he was only a teenager.
Why he is here: Luis has worked as a dancer with renowned Latin artists such as Paulina Rubio, Thalía, Yerba Buena, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Olga Tañon, and many others. On Broadway, Luis has participated in: Evita, Aida, Fame, 42nd St., and The Mambo Kings.
What the critics are saying about him: "If you don't notice him for his mop of curly hair, you do because of his eye-popping dance moves, especially in the club scene, when he comes between would-be sweethearts Usnavi and Vanessa." Adrienne Onofri - Broadway World
Congratulations to Luis Salgado and to all the Ensemble of "In The Heights" for winning the Best Ensemble special award given by
The Drama Desk 2007 Awards
______________________________________
From Tony Lovers
Photos from Seth's Broadway 101, Easter Bonnet competition, Drama Desk awards
(edited May 19, 2007 to add photos from Drama Desk awards)
Luis Salgado (In the Heights) has provided TonyLovers.com with a few photos from the After Party of Seth's Broadway 101 and from the Easter Bonnet competition. Thank you Luis for sharing!
Seth's Broadway 101 took place on April 16 at the New World Stages.
Luis Salgado, Laura Benanti, Joshua Eckblom
Raul Esparza and Luis Salgado
The Easter Bonnet competition took place April 23. In the Heights placed second in the competition.
Exciting times for In the Heights - it was announced earlier in the week that they won the Drama Desk award for Best Ensemble!!
El artista polifacético Luís Salgado se descubre para que el publico y jóvenes vean como creció y llego adonde en estos momentos esta parado. Hace cinco años el joven artista descendió de Puerto Rico serrando su mas apreciado sueño e inversión donde este le dedico tiempo a un grupo de jóvenes que al tiempo de haberse mudado se sentía culpable de ver muchos cambios en la vida de sus estudiantes a las que siempre llamo como “Mis Hijas”. Este Puertorriqueño es el segundo en obtener el reconocimiento de Gitano del mes reconocimiento otorgado por una periodista de Broadway.com en el cual se reconoce a todo aquel artista polifacético en varias ramas de alguna producción de los teatros musicales. No niega que no tuvo el apoyo de su madre ya que esta cuando el era apenas pequeño y cursaba elemental enviaba a la escuela cartas para que no lo dejaran actuar en ninguna actividad para que este se dedicara a los estudios, pero al contrario su padre siempre lo apoyo, su padre formaba parte de las fuerzas armadas y era poco lo que estos podían compartir pero cuando estaban juntos o se comunicaban su padre siempre le mencionaba “Si es lo que deseas lúchalo” y por supuesto el artista nos menciona que el siempre a dicho es que “Dios premia a los que se arriesgan” pensamiento muy complejo pero cierto.
Es un artista que siempre esta muy consiente de lo que desea por lo que a muchísimos productores que tratan mal al talento y o los tratan de intimidar les a dicho que no cuando le ofrecen algún trabajo pero su gran precisión lo a ayudado a estar donde esta ahora mismo por ganar respeto de dichos productores, y su precisión hizo que se multiplicaran los trabajos y las producciones estén interesados en el. El actor esta escribiendo un libro que titulo “Vivamos” donde este trata de poner un grano en el cerebro de cada uno de los lectores para que tengan unos consejos de cómo uno puede vivir mejor y como puede ser una gran persona, tiene pensado en tirar una primera ronda de libros para regalarle a sus familiares y amigos mas cercanos, además esta esperando que alguna firma entienda el propósito de su libro ya que para el tiene un significado muy importante y esta seguro que tendrá un gran éxito. Además le encantaría montar coreografías para la artista con la que siempre deseo bailar pero en estos momentos desearía montar coreografías es a la ponceña Ednita Nazario, tampoco descarta la idea de coproducir un musical para la isla de Puerto Rico ya que aquí no tiene mucha demanda pero personas como Waldo Gonzáles, Francisco Zamora, Gil Rene si creen en estos eventos y no descartaría la idea de juntarse con alguno de estos para traer otro musical a Puerto Rico por que solo con el éxito de Chorus Line sabe que el teatro musical en la isla tendría éxito. Y personas o personalidades como Luís Salgado son las que revolucionan y escriben la historia de los artistas Puertorriqueños fuera de la isla poniendo el nombre y el talento en alto.
San Juan, Puerto Rico :: viernes, 6 de abril de 2007
Luis Salgado: ‘Gitano boricua’ en Broadway
El actor y bailarín puertorriqueño Luis Salgado acaba de ser destacado como “Gypsy of the Month” en Broadway. (Foto suministrada)
El actor y bailarín puertorriqueño Luis Salgado fue seleccionado “Gipsy of the Month”, por su ascendente trayectoria en la meca del teatro musical: Broadway. Como sugiere su título en inglés, el reconocimiento es otorgado a artistas que han logrado destacarse en más de una de las áreas artísticas que involucran la presentación de un musical. El honor coincide con la doble participación de Salgado en el musical “In the Heights”.
“Esta selección me honra sobremanera porque ‘In the Heights’ es una obra que se está presentando off-Broadway y llevo poco tiempo radicado en Nueva York”, destacó el vegalteño, que reside en la Gran Urbe desde 2002 y que recientemente formó parte del elenco de “A Chorus Line” en Puerto Rico.
Como “Gipsy of the Month”, durante este mes aparecerá una entrevista del actor y bailarín en la página de Internet www.broadwayworld.com, primer recurso informativo de Broadway, en la que Salgado hablará de sus comienzos, su trayectoria, sus planes y sueños.
“In the Heights”, su graduación artística-
En el musical “In the Heights” (de los productores de “Rent”), que se presenta en el teatro 37 Arts, Luis Salgado interpreta el personaje de José así como forma parte del equipo creativo, precisamente como asistente de coreógrafo en todo lo relacionado con los ritmos latinos. De esta forma, su creatividad se ejemplifica al compás del merengue, la salsa y el reggaetón; ritmos que en el musical enmarcan escenas en las vidas de los latinos de la comunidad Washington Heights de Nueva York.
“El 8 de febrero fue la apertura oficial del musical, luego de un mes de prueba (‘previews´). Estoy satisfecho con el resultado pues esta pieza teatral, de una forma honesta, apela mucho a nuestra gente latina, tanto por su contenido, su música como por la escenografía”, expresa el artista.
El musical y su elenco han recibido críticas muy positivas de la prensa especializada en la Gran Urbe. El periodista Juan Fernando Merino, de El Diario de Nueva York, escribió recientemente: “Ha sido un sueño esporádico... y esquivo. Desde el enorme éxito de ‘West Side Story’ en 1957, de vez en cuando, muy de vez en cuando, un musical con tema y protagonistas latinos aparece en Broadway, off-Broadway o en algún teatro experimental... ¿(Será éste) un exitoso Upper Upper West Side Story de nuestros tiempos? El sueño no es inalcanzable a juzgar por la excelente música, la vibrante letra, el elenco de excepcionales cantantes y bailarines —que incluye una ganadora del premio Tony (Priscilla López) y varios nominados— así como el apoyo decidido de unos productores que han creído en el proyecto y le han brindado su apoyo para un lanzamiento por lo alto y en un teatro, el 37 Arts, con capacidad para un público numeroso”.
Si bien la reacción de la prensa y del público (en especial la de la comunidad Washington Heights en la que el musical se concentra) motiva sobremanera a Luis, la del coreógrafo de la pieza (Andy Blankenbuehler) lo emociona de modo especial. Cuando vio el musical, Blankenbuehler tuvo palabras de elogio para la labor de Salgado en la pieza teatral.
Luis Salgado forma parte del elenco del nuevo musical “In the Heihts” que actualmente se presenta en el circuitoteatral off Broadway de Nueva York. (Foto suministrada)
“Con sus cabellos rizados y su innegable carisma, yo sabía que Luis Salgado iba a captar de inmediato mi visión, cristalizándola hábilmente sobre el escenario... Luis es un artista sumamente creativo. Y ya sea en o fuera del escenario, él captura la magia del momento, convirtiéndola en puro oro”, apuntó elexperimentado coreógraf anglosajón.
Para el actor y bailarín vegalteño cada elogio es un espaldarazo a su determinación de abrirse paso en el difícil mundo del espectáculo. Y con cada aplauso de reconocimiento el artista contempla los frutos de las 13 horas diarias que, durante cuatro meses, estuvo ensayando preparándose para este proyecto que confía llegue eventualmente a los escenarios de Broadway.
“Más que un reto, ‘In the Heights’ me ha brindado la oportunidad de cambiar, afinar, ensayar y participar en una historia que me toca como patriota. Y por eso reconozco que ésta ha sido mi graduación”, apunta Luis Salgado exhortando al público a no perderse “un espectáculo de gran calidad que representa al latino de forma honesta”.
Trayectoria y planes de Luis Salgado-
La exitosa puesta en escena de “In the Heigts” es un nuevo acierto en el resumé de del actor y bailaín puertorriqueño, que incluye intervenciones previas en musicales como “Fame on 42st”, “Evita”, “Aida” y “The Mambo Kings” (este último presentado en California con actuaciones estelares de Albita y Jaime Camil). Más recientemente, a finales de 2006, Salgado encarnó a “Bobby” en el musical “A Chorus Line”, presentado en Puerto Rico. Para su sorpresa, a sólo cuatro días antes de la que sería la séptima y última presentación del musical, tuvo que prepararse para interpretar a uno de los personajes principales, “Paul”, recibiendo nuevamente el aplauso del público y de la crítica.
Luis descubrió su interés en las artes escénicas a los nueve años. A los 17 años comenzó a desempeñarse como bailarín de figuras como Jailene Cintrón, Olga Tañón, Paulina Rubio y Thalía. Para esos años inició sus estudios universitarios matriculándose en el Departamento de Drama de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (U.P.R.). Ya en una etapa posterior se convirtió en maestro de baile y actuación, fundando en su natal Vega Alta la academia Ensueños. Pero, según expresa, “con mucho dolor” tuvo que cerrarla para ir tras sus sueños artísticos. No obstante, siempre que regresa a Puerto Rico o viaja alrededor del mundo – como hizo en Japón al participar en “Zap II” - ofrece talleres de baile y actuación a niños y jóvenes, para invitarlos a que hagan del arte un vehículo de expresión.
Así, el sueño de Luis es seguir nutriéndose de experiencias para en su momento regresar a su patria y contribuir al desarrollo de las artes, ya sea actuando, dirigiendo teatro o cine o colaborando con un guión. Mientras tanto, este año podremos verlo a través de la pantalla grande en la cinta “Enchanted”, de los estudios de Walt Disney, y en la cinta animada “Across the Universe”.
Seriously. I went to BYU after H.S. because my parents wanted me to go there, but I really wanted to go to Broadway and tread the boards. I was a triple threat in H.S.; put some polish on me, and I was sure I’d be a star.
So it’s really fun to read things like BroadwayWorld’s Gypsy of the Month. It’s interesting to read about Luis Salgado, about how he got where he is (really incredible stuff, coming out of Puerto Rico, running his own dance school, running of to NYC to chase his dreams…he needs his own movie).
But then I saw this bit about a movie he’s in:
"In Julie Taymor’s Vietnam-era Across the Universe, which also features some animation as well as a score by the Beatles, he plays a hippie in the “Come Together” number and a sergeant in a dream sequence (the movie should be out in September)."
Julie Taymor? Doing a show based on the Beatles Music?
And then this bit:
"Salgado is so satisfied with his current gig, he turned down a role in a new musical adaptation of Carmen, being staged by Cirque du Soleil director Franco Dragone for a June-July run at La Jolla Playhouse."
Pardon me. I must dance around with glee for a bit…
luuuuiiiiss mi prieto bello mi mejor maestro d baile q e tenido in my life nunca cambies siempre se tu mismo y recuerda q aqui tienes a una niñita q te quiere un monton q siempre te tiene en el corazon y q sabes q eres la persona q mas admiro en la vida eres mi idolo tu me enseñastes muchas cosas bonitas cuando me vistes a mis 6 añitos te extraño un monton pero ya veras q voy a lograr mi sueño q llegare muy lejos gracias a tus consejos y sere una bailarina profesional cm siemrpe lo q soñado tqm Att.TU INDIA joalisse
Jan 15, 2007 6:57 PM
HOLA BENDICIONES AKI TU PRIMO FAVORITO SAVES Q TE QUIERO Y ESTOY PASANDO PARA DEJARTE MI JUEYAS Y PARA DECIRTE Q ERES EL PRIMO Q MAS QUIERO SAVES Q NUNCA ME ECHARE PARA ATRAS EN MIS COSAS POR Q QUIERO LOGRAR LO Q TU HAS LOGRADO EL CARIONO Y EL AMOR DE MUCHAS PERSONAS Y ESO ES LO Q YO QUIERO POR ESO ESTOY DONDE ESTOY PARA LOGRAR MUCHAS COSAS SAVES Q TE ESTOY DEJANDO UN PEQUENO MENSAJE CON MUCHO CARINO Y AMOR DILE A DENNIS Q LA QUIERO UN MONTO BYE CUIDENSEN MUCHO LOS QUIEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.... I LOVE LUISSSSSSSSSSSS.BYE
MAG dice: ME facina tu foto en la revista.. ERes lo mas bello que e visto despues de mi marido y hijo claro jajjajajajaja , que dios siempre te brille. tu amiga mag.
MaRiaAleXaNdRa dice: Dance your heart out!!!!
;) 578957849357439
!Dios siga bendiciendo tu camino! Sabes que eres muy especial. Que maravilloso es saber que continuas cosechando exitos...Adelante Luis! Sabes que eres ejemplo de muchos. La semilla seguira dando frutos! Dios te cuide y Proteja por siempre!!!! Te amamos muuuucho! Rosemary y Vale
Rose
30-Marzo-2007
Mi querido soñador, siempre con ese optimismo y con esas ganas que haces las cosas, y el amor que le pones a tu carrera, todo eso hace que cada dia te vaya mejor... lo mejor de lo mejor para ti que te lo mereces... te quiere tu amiga Miel p.d. tus amigos de Alkymya te extrañamos...
miel
30-Marzo-2007
En hora buena! Luis, felicitaciones mil por todos tus logros. Este chico es vivo ejemplo para mi y para mi pueblo. Siempre estaré apoyando cada uno de sus pasos porque ejemplos como este no se encuentran a diario. Gracias por enseñarnos a soñar!
Gitana
30-Marzo-2007
congratulations
by FaFa42 @ 04/03/07, 12:18:44 PM indeed
by rentchica444 @ 04/03/07, 03:44:57 PM Boriqua Power!
by Dark_Angel @ 04/03/07, 04:54:05 PM
Congrats Congrats Congrats my shining star! You totally deserve it! This is just the beginning cause you have "pasion" for a hole lifetime... You're quite the amazing person. Always a fan!
Congrats! he is amazing... :]
Felicitaciones!
by chavito @ 04/04/07, 11:10:32 PM
Luis te felicito. Te mereces el reconocimiento por tus sacrificios, tu pasion y talento! Me llenas de orgullo. Suerte.
I am so proud of you papa! Keep representing us so well, you know you are our "warrior of the light".
He is the nicest man in the world! And is dancing is breath taking. I saw him in In the Heights and I am so impressed I am going to see it a second time. But yeah he's truly amazing.
Hola luis tanto tiempo..bueno de verdad que me siento muy orgullosa de ti que lograstes todas tus metas...no se si te acuerdas cuando hace mucho tiempo atras estuvistes muy indeciso para irte porque tu familia no queria y tus amistades tampoco y hablastes con mi mama y ella te dijo q hicieras lo mejor para ti y que siguieras tus metas, pues yo le dije lo lejos que tu has llegado en tu carrera y ella esta muy feliz por ti y me dijo q te dijera y sigue tus metas porque si llegastes hasta donde estas ahora ya tu sabes que puedes seguir hacia adelante porque nada es imposible..y bueno de verdad me siento muy orgullosa porque en un momento de mi vida te pude tenerte de maestro de baile inclusive he hido a vairos sitios para seguir bailando pero ningun maestro es como tu.. y bueno sabes q mi mama y yo 100pre te tenderemos en nuestras oraciones y en nuestros corazonez y que sigas hacia adelante porque todavia tienes todavia un vida entera que vivir y estas empesando ahora...bueno pues me tengo que ir asi que me escribes cuando quieras...cuidate un monton ...TQMMMMMM
ATT. Jennifer!!!
Luis es un ser humano sumamente especial y digno de ser admirado. Admiro mucho su forma de pensar y su gran sabiduria, pero mas que nada admiro lo perseverante que es a la hora de ir tras un sueno!!! Es tremendo profesor y un gran amigo. Da de lo que no tiene, solo por ver a alguien sonreir. Y lo mas importante es que tiene un corazon bien grande y hermoso, y una fe inmensa.
Gracias mil por tu apoyo incondicional y por todos los sabios consejos que me haz dado!!! Te quiero muchooooo :)
Es una persona SUPER talentosa y llena de energia contagiosa.Lo admiro por su valentia y las ganas de luchar y de vivir que demustra dia tras dia.Es mi orgullo y lo Amo con todo mi corazon.ah es super lindo e interesante... Tu que opinas?
Luis es una persona que vale por miles ......
una persona que no conoces todas los dias
si lo conoces disfruta el tiempo que paces con el
como yo lo ise....
Cuidate mucho Luis y tu sabes que siempre te tengo en
mi mente besosss....
Tu amiga por siempre ----(@ Pamela ----(@
LUIS,
una persona super divertida, luchador de sus sue�os, un amigo, hermano, y un bailarin de los MEJORES como q es puertorrique�o. jeje el q tenga la oportunidad de conoserlo no se arrepentiran de tener un amigo como el, te deseo lo mejor chico y te mando un beso te quiero mucho tu amiga Yole
This is the first story about Luis Salgado written in English. In Spanish, it’s another story. Check out these headlines: “Luis Salgado saborea el éxito teatral” (“Luis Salgado savors theatrical success”), Primera Hora newspaper. “Línea ascendente” (“Rising star”), El Nuevo Día. And when it looked like he’d have his first Broadway role, in 2005’s The Mambo Kings, the newspaper Hoy Nueva York proclaimed, “El debut de un grande” (“A great one’s debut”).
He’s known in places where they speak other languages too. The German telecommunications giant Arcor twice hired him for an industrial, first as a dancer and the following year as choreographer. He’s gone to Japan three times to be the guest artist with a dance company.
Here in New York, where he’s lived for the last five years or so, Salgado currently has his most prominent role to date. In off-Broadway’s In the Heights, this season’s most ingratiating new musical, he’s one of the denizens of that barrio up near the top of the subway map—i.e., Washington Heights. If you don’t notice him for his mop of curly hair, you do because of his eye-popping dance moves, especially in the club scene, when he comes between would-be sweethearts Usnavi and Vanessa.
Salgado, 26, first heard about Heights from its original choreographer, Sergio Trujillo, with whom he’d worked on Mambo Kings. About a year and a half ago, Trujillo told the previously close-cropped Salgado to start growing out his hair for a role in the new show. Though he ended up passing on the In the Heights workshop to be dance captain for a regional production of Aida, Salgado let his hair grow all last year, even while he was filming two movies and playing other parts on stage—including prissy Bobby in A Chorus Line. “It gave it a comedy thing—like a little psychotic Bobby,” he laughs.
Salgado was billed as a “special guest star” in Chorus Line, which was presented for six performances last fall at Centro de Bellas Artes de Caguas, outside San Juan. He was, after all, returning to his native Puerto Rico with some Hollywood credentials—dance double for star Diego Luna in 2004’s Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and parts in scenes with Russell Crowe and Patrick Dempsey in, respectively, American Gangster and Enchanted (both scheduled for release this November).
In 2004, Salgado had made another heralded return—for his hometown’s annual Carnaval Vegalteño, which was dedicated to him in recognition of his accomplishments and the example he set. Salgado grew up in Vega Alta, a city of 38,000 on Puerto Rico’s north coast, about 25 miles from San Juan. Coincidentally, it’s also where the family of In the Heights’ creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda hails from. Miranda, whom Salgado hadn’t met before working on the show, wrote a lyric—sung by Daniela (Andréa Burns)—about “the hills of Vega Alta” for Heights.
When Salgado was still a teenager, he started a dance academy in a local gym. He notes that, ironically, the government which would honor him with Carnaval after he’d left the island wasn’t that forthcoming with financial or logistical support during the five years his school operated. But it had 300 pupils—children and adults—and put on a show every six months. In the spring of 2001, Salgado and his students were invited to perform at New York’s Puerto Rican Day Parade (Vega Alta was one of that year’s parade honorees).
That trip led to Salgado’s decision to move to New York, and by the following year he was living in la Gran Manzana and working pretty regularly. But he’d arrived in the city without the childhood indoctrination most of his colleagues have had. “I was pretty much unaware of the power of musical theater until I came to New York. I didn’t grow up seeing Mary Poppins, I didn’t grow up seeing The Wizard of Oz,” Salgado says, though he does recall being profoundly affected by a nonmusical stage production of Pinocchio as an adolescent. “When I moved to New York, my first voice teacher told me ‘See more!’ and I’m like, ‘Who’s Seymour?’ And he was, ‘No. See more shows. You’ve got to go and study, you’ve got to learn.’ So I was in Blockbuster every week, renting movie musicals.”
Before he left Puerto Rico, he produced one last show with his school—“Por Amor al Arte” (“For Love of the Art”), the story of a Puerto Rican boy who goes to New York to pursue his showbiz dreams. “In a way it was an apology, because I was leaving,” says Salgado. Then and now, however, people around Salgado must know how important following one’s dreams is to him. He had named his school Ensueños—In Dreams—and his bio in the In the Heights program concludes “Dare to dream.” Last May, he co-choreographed and danced in Starting Today Dare to Dream…, a show performed in Jackson Heights, Queens, with students of the Lexington School for the Deaf.
“I am a dreamer, and I will always be a dreamer,” Salgado says, er, dreamily. “We can all dream; it’s free. If nobody wants to support it, you can go to your room and still dream.”
For the Starting Today job, he’d been referred by Maria Torres, who was his dance partner in The Mambo Kings and choreographed off-Broadway’s Four Guys Named José. She also was associate choreographer for Enchanted, Disney’s live-action/animation mash-up due out later this year, and Salgado assisted her on its Central Park scene. The film’s cast includes Hollywood stars Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon and Amy (Junebug) Adams as well as such Broadway faves as Idina Menzel, Brian D’Arcy James, Judy Kuhn and Gregory Jbara.
Salgado also performs in a ballroom scene in Enchanted, one of three fall films in which he appears (barring any prerelease edits). In Julie Taymor’s Vietnam-era Across the Universe, which also features some animation as well as a score by the Beatles, he plays a hippie in the “Come Together” number and a sergeant in a dream sequence (the movie should be out in September). In American Gangster, a 1970s-set Ridley Scott opus about heroin smuggling, starring Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington, he dances in a club scene.
His stage work since moving to New York includes ensemble roles in Fame off-Broadway, Aida at Westchester Broadway Theatre, and Evita (starring Felicia Finley) at Helen Hayes Theatre in Rockland County. He’s danced in Madison Square Garden concerts by pop stars Thalía and Paulina Rubio and in the free outdoor “Dancing for Life” performances presented in summer by Dancers Responding to AIDS. He’s also worked for SEA, Sociedad Educativa de las Artes, a bilingual youth theater company and arts education program. He performed in SEA’s revue of Latino music, ¡Tropical!, and choreographed its original musical Los Desertores/The Dropouts.
One of Salgado’s first jobs in New York was a role in “Broadway Workshop,” a 2002 miniseries starring Wayne Cilento, Amy Spanger and Alan Thicke that was created for PBS’ Egg: The Arts Show. “Broadway Workshop” chronicled the fictional development of a Broadway musical about lobstering, Traps!, but only one episode was televised before Egg went off the air.
A few years later, Salgado would be involved in another aborted project—the attempt to bring The Mambo Kings, a musical adaptation of the Antonio Banderas/Armand Assante movie (which had been based on an Oscar Hijuelos novel), to Broadway. He did the workshop in New York and the spring 2005 production in San Francisco. Then the company came back to New York, put up a marquee on the Broadway Theatre, announced an Aug. 18 opening, and gave the cast a week off. A few days into their paid vacation, they got the call that the Broadway run had been canceled.
“It was devastating, the hardest experience of our lives,” Salgado says. “The cast was so united, so committed, and we were all so proud because it was something that spoke our language, that was representing our people. That period—the ’50s—was beautifully represented. And suddenly it was gone, done, just out of the blue.”
Despite Mambo Kings’ collapse, Salgado came away from the show with something valuable: a “new mentor.” That would be Sergio Trujillo, the choreographer, for whom he later did preproduction—helping to work out choreography—on All Shook Up, Kismet for City Center Encores! and a piece for Ballet Hispanico. (Trujillo left In the Heights after the workshop and was replaced by Andy Blankenbuehler for the actual production.) Salgado had had a childhood mentor back in Puerto Rico, a dance instructor named José Javier “Pepito” Rivera. “After Pepito,” he says, “I hadn’t had a person who challenged me, who gave me love within the art, who told me ‘You’re capable of doing that and I love it, but I want you to do this other thing.’ Sergio gave me all of that again.”
Salgado had found his first mentor at a crucial time. When he was 9, he went to Hawaii to live with his father, who’d divorced his mother when he was a baby. “I had a pretty difficult time because I didn’t speak English and I was pretty much living alone because my father was in the Army, my stepmother was very young—she wasn’t really taking care of me—school wasn’t in my native language. I had D’s and F’s in school. It was a tough change, because my mother always took so much care of me, I had A grades [in Puerto Rico]. I went from everything to nothing.”
He moved back in with his mother in Puerto Rico the next year, but was still reeling from the painful time in Hawaii. A new afterschool arts program proved his salvation. It was run by Rivera, who became “like my father figure,” Salgado says. “Thanks to that program, I started finding again a lot of hope and things to do and focus on. My grades started coming back up, and I became again to be Luis, the same Luis who left town. But now this Luis had another hunger that I’d discovered and that allowed me to be myself.”
Rivera taught the kids dance, acting, poetry, and had them put on a performance every week. When Luis and his classmates were moving on to high school—and therefore would no longer be in the school with Pepito’s program—Rivera created a company to keep them as students. Around that time, Salgado began his formal dance training at a studio. Rivera introduced him to professional artists, and the connections led to jobs. At age 17, Salgado became a backup dancer for merengue singer Jailene Cintrón. He performed on her TV show, A Reír y a Gozar, and on other Puerto Rican television programs, including Voces en Función, Vale Mas, Eso Vale and De Noche con Iris y Sunshine.
While Salgado was performing and running his own school, he was also enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico in Rió Piedras as an acting student. All the while, his mother was wary of this dream of his. “It was pretty much taboo,” he says. “In Puerto Rico, in the United States, no matter where you are, they don’t teach us to do what we love. They teach us to do something that can give you money.”
He moved to New York before he could graduate from college but has continued taking acting classes. He has plans for putting all the dramatic training to use. “Eventually I want to move more into acting,” he says. “Just plays.” His role models are Raul Julia and José Ferrer, two Puerto Ricans who were respected dramatic actors in U.S. But this dream is being deferred at present. “I feel I still have a long way to go, with my accent, with many other things,” Salgado explains. “When that time comes when I’m going to focus on that [acting], I will have had developed a name and a résumé that will support me and I will have the abilities.” Besides, he adds, “I am way too happy dancing at this moment!”
His happiness is due to not just what he’s doing but where. “I am so in love with In the Heights,” says Salgado, who’s the only cast member (besides veterans Olga Merediz and John Herrera) who was born outside the States. “Nothing in New York City has brought what it has. It’s not creating a stereotype; it’s creating the story of people, and that’s where the honesty’s at. This show just grabs the music and just grabs a story of people who are struggling.”
He’s not as effusive about the most famous Manhattan-set musical about Hispanics, primarily because of the image it has fixed in people’s minds. “When I step into an audition, I’m not always allowed to step in as Luis, but I have to be Bernardo. I have to represent what someone put out there that the Latino community was. It’s been accepted because it was so powerful and beautiful and has so much greatness to it. Yet West Side Story f---ed us up, I’m sorry to say. We have to now become a character that people understand.” The authentically puertorriqueño Salgado says he’s been told in auditions that he doesn’t have the “right accent” by people accustomed to the fake accents of actors who’ve played Bernardo. Despite his gripes, that was Salgado at last year’s Tony Awards, “playing” Bernardo when characters from shows produced by Hal Prince appeared on stage during a tribute to Prince.
Salgado is so satisfied with his current gig, he turned down a role in a new musical adaptation of Carmen, being staged by Cirque du Soleil director Franco Dragone for a June-July run at La Jolla Playhouse. He does moonlight from In the Heights, though: He’s choreographing recording artist Jimmy Flavor’s performance at the Miss Dominican Republic USA pageant, to be held May 5 in the Bronx, and is restaging SEA’s 2002 show The Dropouts for performances at Manhattan’s El Museo del Barrio on May 24 and 25.
Salgado, whose yen to perform began with childhood magic tricks using cards and “pañuelos” (handkerchiefs), keeps honing some offstage talents as well. He’s an avid photographer, still loyal to 35mm, and has painted art for his apartment—which is in Harlem, not the Heights. And “I love writing,” he says. “I write thoughts, I write quotes, I write plays. Hopefully I’ll be able to give more effort to do that and I’ll have some good material there to publish someday.”
Photos of Luis in performance, from top: in a Puerto Rican production of Chorus Line last fall; in off-Broadway’s Fame; with Maria Torres in The Mambo Kings; in In the Heights, with Andréa Burns and Eliseo Roman. [Heights photo by Joan Marcus]
Reader Feedback - 1 Replies
congratulations
by FaFa42 @ 04/03/07, 12:18:44 PM
Congrats Congrats Congrats my shining star! You totally deserve it! This is just the beginning cause you have "pasion" for a hole lifetime... You're quite the amazing person. Always a fan!
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Adrienne Onofri, one of BroadwayWorld's original columnists, was a longtime contributor to OOBR (The Off-Off-Broadway Review) and theater editor of The Greenwich Village Press. She is a member of the Drama Desk and contributes to Entertainment Weekly. She is also a travel writer; her first book, Walking Brooklyn, will be published this spring by Wilderness Press.
Luis Salgado es un hijo de Vega Alta, quien al proyectar su talento a nivel nacional e internacional, enorgullece a su familia a su pueblo y con verdadera emoción, a aquellos que le conocemos y que le hemos admirado con sinceridad desde sus comienzos y atraves de su trayectoria artística.
Havana Nights le abrió sus puertas, Japón le extendió sus brazos y Vega Alta le entrega su corazón.
Luis Salgado continúa enriqueciendo nuestra cultura y colmando nuestro pueblo de infinidad de emociones. Que Dios te bendiga siempre y que mantenga ese penetrante destello de luz en tu camino artístico,
Jose M. Colon Garcia
Como ves, los sueños si pueden convertirse en realidad, cuando lo trabajamos con entusiasmo y amor por el arte, como tú lo haces.
Ayer algunos fuimos tus ejemplos, hoy eres la inspiración a seguir de muchos.
Por tu sincera amistad y por los momentos alegres que disfrutamos contigo, hoy te damos las gracias.
It's Tony's month and we've got our fingers crossed at EB & A for Luis Salgado and his amazing cast of In the Heights. In celebration of their 13 nominations, we designed a partnership for Luis to be the guest correspondent at http://www.tonylovers.com/ for the month of June. Plus, the Tony Lovers website was completely re-designed, so Luis was part of a NEW branding campaign to re-launch this dedicated Broadway website. Please be sure to visit and learn more about Luis as he shares his personal insight and experiences as an aspiring and emerging dancer/actor/choreographer and new founder of R.Evolucion Latina. Congratulations Luis and best of luck to the cast of In the Heights at the TONY's this weekend. 
Julieta Venegas "really the best" 
Luis has a new DVD out for sale. Check it out.
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Who she is:
Who he is: 
Who he is: 
Who he is:
El artista polifacético Luís Salgado se descubre para que el publico y jóvenes vean como creció y llego adonde en estos momentos esta parado. Hace cinco años el joven artista descendió de Puerto Rico serrando su mas apreciado sueño e inversión donde este le dedico tiempo a un grupo de jóvenes que al tiempo de haberse mudado se sentía culpable de ver muchos cambios en la vida de sus estudiantes a las que siempre llamo como “Mis Hijas”. Este Puertorriqueño es el segundo en obtener el reconocimiento de Gitano del mes reconocimiento otorgado por una periodista de Broadway.com en el cual se reconoce a todo aquel artista polifacético en varias ramas de alguna producción de los teatros musicales. No niega que no tuvo el apoyo de su madre ya que esta cuando el era apenas pequeño y cursaba elemental enviaba a la escuela cartas para que no lo dejaran actuar en ninguna actividad para que este se dedicara a los estudios, pero al contrario su padre siempre lo apoyo, su padre formaba parte de las fuerzas armadas y era poco lo que estos podían compartir pero cuando estaban juntos o se comunicaban su padre siempre le mencionaba “Si es lo que deseas lúchalo” y por supuesto el artista nos menciona que el siempre a dicho es que “Dios premia a los que se arriesgan” pensamiento muy complejo pero cierto.
y esta seguro que tendrá un gran éxito. Además le encantaría montar coreografías para la artista con la que siempre deseo bailar pero en estos momentos desearía montar coreografías es a la ponceña Ednita Nazario, tampoco descarta la idea de coproducir un musical para la isla de Puerto Rico ya que aquí no tiene mucha demanda pero personas como Waldo Gonzáles, Francisco Zamora, Gil Rene si creen en estos eventos y no descartaría la idea de juntarse con alguno de estos para traer otro musical a Puerto Rico por que solo con el éxito de Chorus Line sabe que el teatro musical en la isla tendría éxito. Y personas o personalidades como Luís Salgado son las que revolucionan y escriben la historia de los artistas Puertorriqueños fuera de la isla poniendo el nombre y el talento en alto. 
I wanted to be a gypsy.
Here in New York, where he’s lived for the last five years or so, Salgado currently has his most prominent role to date. In off-Broadway’s In the Heights, this season’s most ingratiating new musical, he’s one of the denizens of that barrio up near the top of the subway map—i.e., Washington Heights. If you don’t notice him for his mop of curly hair, you do because of his eye-popping dance moves, especially in the club scene, when he comes between would-be sweethearts Usnavi and Vanessa. 
In 2004, Salgado had made another heralded return—for his hometown’s annual Carnaval Vegalteño, which was dedicated to him in recognition of his accomplishments and the example he set. Salgado grew up in Vega Alta, a city of 38,000 on Puerto Rico’s north coast, about 25 miles from San Juan. Coincidentally, it’s also where the family of In the Heights’ creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda hails from. Miranda, whom Salgado hadn’t met before working on the show, wrote a lyric—sung by Daniela (Andréa Burns)—about “the hills of Vega Alta” for Heights.
Adrienne Onofri, one of BroadwayWorld's original columnists, was a longtime contributor to OOBR (The Off-Off-Broadway Review) and theater editor of The Greenwich Village Press. She is a member of the Drama Desk and contributes to Entertainment Weekly. She is also a travel writer; her first book, 
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