User:Madi Hoyos-Portes/sandbox

Madi Portes, Salsa Dancer, Instructor, Performer and Choreographer Madi Portes was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She began taking formal dance classes at the age of 14 in New York City. Years later, at the age of 20, Madi auditioned and was chosen out of hundreds of dancers to represent the New York Cosmos Soccer team as a Cosmos Cheerleader-Dancer. She was a professional cheerleader for six years, performing for crowds of 80,000 at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Madi's interest in dance changed as she began to concentrate on the dances of her roots -- Latin dance. Born of Puerto Rican parents, her passion for this genre was a natural one.

She danced professionally with the Eddie Torres Dance Company for eight years and appeared on famous stages with Tito Puente, Mario Bauza, El Gran Combo, La India, Cachao, Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony, as well as jazz artists Winton Marsalis and Dave Valentin. She danced for political as well as recreational reasons and the list of performances range from dancing at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, Windows of the World at the World Trade Center, just to name a few. She has appeared on the Sally Jessey Raphael Show with Daisy Fuentes, Rita Moreno and Tito Puente; the Cosby Show with Bill Cosby, Mario Bauza and Willie Colon; and in the movie "Carlito's Way" with Al Pacino. She represented the Goya Foods company while dancing with Eddie Torres and appeared and danced in every parade that Goya sponsored for eight years.

She also represented WADO AM radio station and appeared on their float in the Cuban Parade accompanied by twice Grammy nominee, David Oquendo and his orchestra. Her last performance appearance with Tito Puente and the Eddie Torres Dance Company was in Atlantic City in 1996.

Since then, she founded the Immanuel Dance Center and Company, with the goal to be a beacon of light to the younger generation in the different communities by sharing her experiences, her passions and her dreams and to be able to motivate and encourage today's youth by demonstrating that the art of dance can be a powerful tool for expression, healing and salvation.

She continues to be trained and coached by her dance mentor and friend, Eddie Torres (a/k/a "The Mambo King") and keeps up with the latest trends, turn patterns, shines and dance events. She also continues to teach private dance instruction as well as create choreography for weddings, sweet 16s, quinceaneras, music videos and other events. Eddie Torres has granted Madi Portes exclusive authorization and has qualified and certified her to teach the "Eddie Torres Technique" of Mambo. In 2011, she founded MadOn2 and moved to Miami, Florida.

After vowing never to return to the corporate world, Madi has now dedicated the rest of her life to her one true passion: to continue to dance, create choreography and teach the beautiful art of Mambo and all of the Latin Dance forms. She is currently teaching and having workshops at various locations and dance studios in South Florida.

She fondly remembers and quotes what her other mentor, boss and friend, Tito Puente, used to say: “I ain't got a lot of money, but I got a lot of recognition!” A Bailar!

For more information, group lessons, choeography or private lessons, please contact Madi at 201-758-1770 or email: madiportes@aol.com or madiportes@gmail.com. Renowned Salsa Dancer, Performer, Instructor and Choreographer, Madi Portes.