SALSANEWYORK CYBER-INTERVIEW: David Melendez
-by Manny Siverio 
Originally published on SalsaNewYork on 8/03

This month we interview NY Mambo Instructor, Performer and Promoter to the New York Salsa Congress David Melendez. David has been around the mambo scene for quite some time. You name it, he's done it. He's been a mambo performer, director to several successful dance companies, an instructor, director to a dance school, owner of a dance club and currently a promoter to a Salsa Congress. He's been reviewed by SalsaWeb NY, is a part of SalsaNewYork's Instructor directory and is a fighter who has meet head on his bout with cancer. This month we interview an "Ol' school" dancer that still has plenty of new tricks up his sleeve....Mr. David Melendez.

David Melendez Cyber-Interview:

SALSANEWYORK: What caused you to start teaching?

I did a show back in 1987 with Eddie Torres and one day before the rehearsal I went early to his class and saw a bunch of people learning and I said to myself “I can do that”

SALSANEWYORK: What was the reason you started performing and what was it like to perform back then?

I started doing dance competitions in the early 80’s, which I considered a form of performing but didn’t look at it that way back then. Then one day Eddie Torres made an announcement on the radio back in 1987 that he wanted dancers to be part of a big show in the Apollo Theater with Tito Puente and I went with Nydia who was my dance partner at the time. That was my first experience with performing and from there I caught the bug.

Now as far as Dance Companies the late George Vascones directed the only dance company during the 70’s, which was the Latin Symbolic. There were no dance groups that I know of doing shows during the 80’s excepted for Eddie & Maria Torres. The dance group’s craze started in the 90’s. Eddie Torres after his successful show at the Apollo Theater continued to perform with his dancers. Many of the dancers that were part of the show move on and helped to create the Mambo Society. From the Mambo Society then came the Latin Sensation which had Angel & Addie Rodriguez, Mike Bello, the Mambo Fello, myself and Nydia Ocasio who was the Director of the group and many others. After the Latin Sensation broke up a two groups were formed, my Mambo Elite and Razz M Tazz . From those small beginnings came many many more groups and today there are like 25 to 30 teams in New York City.

Choreography has become more exciting and more detailed now then what I use to see in the early days. I enjoy watching the shows today.

SALSANEWYORK: What got you into promoting and what have you promoted in the past?

I did my first promotion in June of 1991. I wanted to have my new dance company which was the Mambo Elite perform their debut routine and at the same time raise some money for the group. A member of my dance company knew the owner of a club called Side Street and got us together. He and I came into an agreement and I had my debut show at his club. It was a very big success. The club and the dance company made some money, so I was invited to do another promotion, which happened in October of the same year at the club. But I also did a very successful promotion at Broadway 96 a month before in September of 1991. From there I caught the promoting bug and started promoting on a regular basis at the club

To promote my kids that I just finished teaching how to dance, I started a Children’s Disco where I invited the kids of the parents that came to the club to dance at the same place that their parents would go too. From that I gained more kids to come to the dance school.

I started the student shows for the people that were taking classes with me. Which was also very successful.

Then I started getting into introducing the new dance groups that were being formed and called that event “Mambo Nights”. Many of the groups that are still in the scene had gotten their start with me during my nights.

SalsaNewYork: What did you think of the first Salsa Congress when you heard about it?

I though to myself, “wow that’s my idea but at a bigger scale. I used to have the same concept but locally.

It was the perfect transition from “Mambo Nights” to getting the groups from other parts to come to New York and perform.

More and more groups are formed daily so there are many to come and be part of the event. More people are involved making the congresses larger. Dancers have improved greatly which makes the shows more enjoyable to watch.

Manhattan is not affordable to a person who does not have the means to hold such an event. So the Catskills was perfect to get started. Now I’m not saying that I still have the means but I will struggle and hope that it turns out to be a very successful weekend.

Many of the out of town dancers do not want to come to New York and go on a two-hour bus ride to leave New York. So the only thing left is to have the Congress in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

Promoting a Congress take a lot of time and effort and if you are not from that town it is almost impossible to do the right promotion.

I would not say a better Congress but just a well attended and well promoted one. Plus, I feel a lot of people who have met me trust that I will give the best possible event.

It’s a combination of all of those. I enjoy going because I do enjoy watching the performances and also love social aspect of a Congress because I meet so many people from around the world.

Again I have to say all the above. Dance students will learn from some of the best instructors that are from a different part of the world. They get the opportunity to watch some incredible performers and travel to locations that they would have never gone before.

The best thing about the New York dancers is that they go to all those events and look for more to go too. I don’t see a problem with them taking a big New York event for granted. That is evident by the amount of dance teams I have for this years Congress there is a total of 25 teams that come out of the NY/NJ who will be performing at the NY Congress.

SalsaNewYork: Whats going to be different about this congress this time around?

The biggest different is that it’s going to be in midtown Manhattan. Also I am sorry to say that there will be no after hour pool party which everyone loved in the Catskills. Other than that it will be just like all the congresses from around the world.

Well the biggest different will be that we will be in Manhattan. As far as comparing the first two in New York the one thing that we will miss most is the after hour pool party. Everyone loved those parties!

It’s at the Roosevelt Hotel, which is located on 45th Street, and Madison Ave.
I also have a second location for the pre-party and the Sunday night party, the Altman Building on 18^th Street between 6^th and 7^th Ave.

I expect about 1,000 people. That is my capacity. Which means that if I get the 1,000 people it will be sold out and no one will be allowed in after that.

I just confirmed Eddie and Maria Torres, who we consider here as the father of the Mambo on2. I have on the male side, Frankie Martinez, Thomas Guererro, Nelson Flores, Ismael Otero, Jimmy Anton, Luis Zegarra, Juan Matos and Dave Paris who will teach a tricks workshop. On the female side we have Duplessy Walker, Jorday Rivera, Addie Rodriguez, Addie Diaz, Griselle Ponce, Yesenia Peralta, Winsome Lee and Jami Joesphson who will have a panel discussion with many guest speakers. From out of town I have Shaka Brown, DC, Super Mario, UK, Pawel & Dora, Canada, Mark Anthony & Stephanie, Canada, Ava Apple, SF, Juan Calderon, NJ and the Cobo Brothers NC/NY

We will have on 2 and on 1 intermediate and advance partner and shine classes. A tricks and lifts class and a panel discussion on how to prepare for a performance.

Wow we have so many! Eddie Torres Dance Co., Abakua Dancers, Descarga Latina, Caribbean Soul, Santo Rico, Karisma Dance Co., Heartbreak Boyz, Sweethearts, Jr. Heartbreak Boyz, Mambo Finest, Piel Canela, Rhythm Divas, Young Ambition, Cultural Explosion, Tropical Image, Cobo Brothers, Latin Jazz Ensemble, Razz M Tazz, Addi-Tude Dance Co., Cinsational Dancers, and new dance teams making their debuts at Jareau & Iliana, Taino Dance Theater and Fogarete Dance Project.

I have groups coming from Japan, DC, Chicago, Seattle, LA, San Diego, Boston, Italy, Korea, San Francisco, Oakland, Canada, UK and Texas.

Yes everyone is talking about this congress so I expect it to be very successful.

I will not be honoring anyone this year. I have to make sure that I can make this work in Manhattan. But next year I will make sure to get a honoree or two.

Now as for the DJ’s I have Nelson Torres and Henry Knowles as my main spinners and a few guest DJ’s.

You can go to www.nycsalsacongress.com and just check out the weekend event. If anyone wants to contact me just email me at Dmelendez@aol.com

Thank you for the opportunity to let everyone know about what’s happening and who’s going to be in New York. It will be a great weekend and I know no one wants to miss it.