PEDRO "CUBAN PETE" AGUILAR

Pedro "Cuban Pete" Aguilar, otherwise known as the "Maestro of Mambo" and "The King of the Latin Beat," is an internationally renowned legendary dancer whose passion and flair for dance made him an icon of the mambo genre.

Once referred to in LIFE Magazine as one of the "greatest mambo dancers ever," Cuban Pete is currently working as a consultant for the Mambo/Latin Dance section of the Miami City Ballet’s four-act ballet to be titled "The Neighborhood" due for premiere in March 2000. Prior to that, he served as a dance consultant for the hit movie "Mambo Kings" based on the novel by Oscar Hijuelos. He taught actors Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas the authenticity of mambo in the Palladium days. His advice was sought on everything from the dance style to the clothes to the interior look of the Palladium in the 1950’s.

Cuban Pete was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in New York’s "El Barrio." He credits his success to his mother Nellie Trujillo Masdeu, his first dance teacher. International superstar Desi Arnaz named him Cuban Pete while performing in a contest at the Palladium. After many award-winning performances, he created magic by choreographing a sensual breakthrough performance entitled "Love for Sale." This number made him the most sought after dancer of his time.

Soon after, Cuban Pete performed in a film called Mambo Madness, which resulted in a LIFE magazine article. That led to work at Carnegie Hall, The Palace Theater, RKO Palace, The Waldorf Astoria and the Apollo, where he performed at the request of Nat King Cole. He has since danced for two American presidents at the White House, the Prime Minister of Israel at Madison Square Garden and gave a command performance for the Queen of England. He has worked for Warner Brothers Studios and with major Latin bands including Machito, Tito Puente, Jose Alberto and Tito Rodriguez.

Cuban Pete, regarded as "The Prince of the Palladium," received close to 100 prizes at the Palladium during the Mambo era. Earlier this year, he was awarded the Lifetime Contribution to the World of Salsa Award given by the Congreso Mundial de la Salsa in New York. He has appeared on local, national and international radio and television programs such as Univision’s "Despierta America" and "Primer Impacto."