Men that Truly Dance From the Heart

Did you ever feel stuck; not knowing how you’re going to meet that deadline or even make it through the day? Of course you have. We all do and this week’s trend shows us how to break through that barrier with man power. (Hint, next week’s trend is girl power so listen closely.)

Luis Salgado, founder of R.Evolucion Latina and In the Heights star, found himself in that very situation after he was invited to choreograph for the DRA production of Dance from the Heart | MEN.

One night, while walking home from the Broadway stages, Luis was exhausted and didn’t know what he wanted to choreograph for the show. During his walk, a song called “Rafiki,” rang into his iPod. After a hectic day, that simple song gave Luis the energy he needed to start the day over.

“In the tiredness of doing so much, I realized it was really simple because my job involves doing what I love,” Luis told us.

The idea for “A Simple Day” was born with male performers Duane Gosa, Gabriel Croom, Kevin Santos, Mario Martinez, Ramon Flowers, Ryan Daniel Beck and Luis.

“I designed the piece to come from a complicated perspective of trying to be a unique individual. It’s the story of a person, on any given day. Five minutes after he hits snooze, he starts dreaming and thoughts cross his mind: what he needs to get done that day… trying to find his rhythm… Once you find it, you can live life to the fullest and make each day simple,” Luis says.  

See this man power trend at the 5th annual Dance from the Heart | MEN, a show highlighting today’s finest male dancers. Four unique performances rock NYC’s Cedar Lake Theater on Monday, January 11th and Tuesday, January 12th. See who's performing and buy your tickets.

gendance challenge: If you’re lucky to attend this fabu event next week, we encourage you to rush to Luis, shake his hand and thank him for his interpretation of what it’s like to love what you do. At gendance, it’s always a “simple day” because we love what we do. If you feel the same, salute this trend and the men that bring it to life.