By Cary Shuman
from the audience after Dance Realm’s performance at the
Talent Showcase.
Chelsea resident Luis Arango says he has been dancing for 25 years.
Born in Colombia, he arrived in the United States of America in the early 2000s. Last year he became a professional dance instructor and the leader of Dance Realm, a program known widely for its upbeat and high-energy Latino styles.
Ask anyone who was in Denver for the National Civic League’s Talent Showcase and they will tell you that the performance by Arango and the members of Dance Realm was extraordinary. Not only did Arango and his group of dancers receive a standing ovation, but the members of the audience soon joined Arango onstage to participate in the festiveness themselves.
Why was Arango’s performance so precise and his footwork so incredibly fast and nimble?
“I practice every day,” said the 35-year-old Arango. “Our dancers did a great job. We did salsa, cha-cha-cha, flamenco, tango, milonga. I’m so proud of these talented young ladies.”
Arango’s career in dance had already exploded before his tour-de-force in the Mile High City. He teaches dance to youths and adults, and to seniors at seven different senior centers, including Chelsea, East Boston, Malden, and Revere. All told, he teaches dance lessons to more than 200 people each day.
Arango’s electric exhibition of dance was another example of how City Manager Fidel Maltez and his team left no stone unturned in the pursuit of excellence and victory at the All-America City Award competition. Whether it was the presentation directed by Armando Rivera of Teatro Chelsea or the eloquence of Maltez and Deputy City Manager Devon Fields at the Festival of Ideas community forum, Chelsea was in a class by itself. And the panel of judges agreed, selecting Chelsea as an All-America City Award honoree for an unprecedented second year in a row.
Arango said he will always remember his trip to Denver with the Chelsea contingent.
“I thank Mr. Maltez for giving me this opportunity to represent Chelsea and I congratulate him on leading our city to the All-America City Award,” said Arango.
When it came to dancing in Denver, Luis Arango and Dance Realm were second to none.