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Eileen Torres learned to
dance Rhumba from her father at the age of five. She began performing
Mexican folk dance during the Fiestas in her hometown of Lorain, Ohio
at the age of six. She taught herself to dance to tropical Latin rhythms
by listening to Perez Prado recordings at about the same time. While at
the University of Colorado she co-founded the university's first Ballet
Folklorico. After studying several dance disciplines, she graduated with
a Minor in Dance in 1974. Upon returning to Ohio in 1975, she became instructor
and choreographer for the youth troupe, Alma de Mexico. She began teaching
Salsa there in 1976. In 1977, she began performing hustle and Latin dance.
In 1978, Eileen successfully auditioned for The National Chicano Dance
Theater based in Denver, Colorado. The company dramatized the Chicano
experience through dance. She toured with the company for two years. Back
in Ohio in 1985, she formed and choreographed for the performing group,
Salseros Unlimited.
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Eileen Torres has lectured on Salsa in many venues including The Kennedy Center, National Geographic Society, The Pentagon, the World Salsa Congress in Puerto Rico, The European Salsa Festival in The Netherlands, and the Washington DC Salsa Festival among others. In addition, she was contracted by Starbucks Coffee Company to collaborate on the Latin compilation CD titled Mambo Mio. She assisted in the selection of the music, wrote the liner notes on the origins of Latin music, and created a piece on each artist. Ms. Torres is President of Salsation Productions and Publisher of Salsacentro.com, a web site dedicated to the promotion and appreciation of Salsa music. She currently is preparing to produce and host a cable television show titled SalsaCentro. Her articles on Salsa have been published in Latina Style, Latin Beat and LATIN VIBES Magazine. In addition, she is a well-known promoter of Salsa Dance Nights in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. She received the Andy Award for her work as a historian and producer of Salsa events during the 2002 World Salsa Congress in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She has worked with the National Council of La Raza, HACR (Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility) Latino Sports Ventures, ZGS Communications, and Latina Style Magazine. She is an alumnus of National Hispana Leadership Institute and has served as a consultant to the National Hispanic Corporate Council. These professional experiences have allowed her to interact and build relationships with Latino leaders around the country in the areas of business, entertainment, sports and grass roots community organizing. |
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