R.Evolución Latina's Youngest Active Member

Samantha Melo

My name is Samantha Melo and I am a 16 year old girl from Brooklyn International High School. I was born in Brooklyn but I was raised in the Dominican Republic with my family. As a sister I have always been the funny character of the family and as a daughter I've been the little spark of art in the family. Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of becoming a professional dancer in one of my favorite artists' music videos. Coming from a family of four girls it was almost impossible to join any after school classes and be able to fulfill my dreams of becoming a dancer. Then I started dancing for the love of art, I danced for fun because it was the only thing that would  make me happy. Making my own dance groups with my friends, I performed my own pieces on stage at my school and when I got to 5th grade I joined the baton ballet. The baton ballet is a female dance crew who performs with a marching band on special occasions such as Independence Day or school festivals. I was part of the school baton ballet for over three years until my parents decided to move to the United States. Moving to the United States was a big change of life and a new world I had to adapt to. Leaving behind my family, friends and my house was upsetting to me because I had a great life exactly where I was. My parents thought I would find better opportunities and become a much more successful person in the United States. Sound familiar?

A few months later I was on my way to my first day of school in the United States, a Dominican girl with a Spanish accent, trying to fit in at a junior high school in Brooklyn. I remember crying on my first day of school because I had no idea what my teachers were saying and I had to speak in front of the class. As time passed I felt much more comfortable in class, made some friends and progressed in my schoolwork and then, without realizing it, I was being called up onstage of the auditorium because I had won Student of the Month. The moment I got up to get my award I heard people booing and talking behind my back, calling me names and telling me to get out. I couldn't help to run away from the auditorium and let out all my anger in the school bathroom. But this was just the beginning of a long year. I am talking about being bullied by some students, pushed in halls and yelled at in the lunchroom. I tried to interact with my classmates by finding things we had in common, of course Dance had to be one of the similarities. Then I started taking dance as an extracurricular activity every day after school. I performed with my classmates and for the first time I was noticed not for being the Spanish speaking girl in class but for being a talented dancer. After that performance I felt much more comfortable walking in the halls and interacting with friends. In no time I was graduating from Junior High School with honors and medals, without being judged by anyone and of course making my parents proud.

Annual School International Festival

The next year I began attending Brooklyn International HS as a freshman. My sister was a junior there which made me feel much more comfortable because I knew more people there. Besides, I was surrounded by kids from all around the world feeling the same way I felt in my first year in the US. Being surrounded by students from my country with people who shared the same tastes, culture and beliefs allowed me to try once again to form a dance crew with my friends and perform for the School Annual International Festival. I enjoyed performing with my friends so much because I had the chance to create routines and mix different music and show everyone where I come from. So I did the festival again the next year!

At the beginning of my junior year I was invited to be part of the United Nation Student Conference on Human Rights 2010 together with the most talented students in my school. This conference was a three day workshop on how to embrace awareness around the world. I had the opportunity to perform for a huge audience at the United Nations and it was televised in Mexico and France. Our school partnered with StudentsLive to create a 15 minute show about Human Rights. StudentsLive is a Broadway Educational Program, whose mission is to inspire lives through the power of theatre. Amy Weinstein, Founder and President of StudentsLive, with the help of the amazing staff trained us for a month to be able to perform songs from Broadway Musicals such as West Side Story, Les Miserables, Cabaret, Hair, Avenue Q and Rent. We had to learn how to dance to these new songs, sing and act. The moment I was introduced to this world I fell in love with Musical Theater. I was blessed to be part of this journey and I learned so much from it. It was one of the best experiences of my life not only because of the things I learned but because I realized I had talent.

United Nation Student Conference on Human Rights 2010

At Brooklyn International High School all students have to complete a three-month internship program during junior year in order to graduate. This internship provides students with the opportunity to explore a particular career interest, develop important workplace skills, apply new skills they learn, develop their English skills in a professional work environment, and grow in confidence and maturity. With that being said, I was looking for the best dance studios in NYC who could offer me a work study or at least bring me a little closer to the ARTS.

A few weeks later I applied to a top dance studio and got myself an interview with the Work Study Director. I have to say that was probably my worst interview ever. I had to show the lady my “Dance Resume” and the only valuable thing I had in there was my performance at the United Nations. Did I get the work study program? Yes, I actually did. Did I accept the work study program? No, actually I did not because it took me an hour to convince that woman that I have the potential to do my best, show her my commitment and how much I wanted it but it only  took her a few minutes to tell me that I wasn’t worth a spot in the dance studio. This lady made me feel as if I had to be the most experienced girl to be part of this program but most of all she made me feel that I was so far from achieving any of my goals on becoming a professional dancer. Even then, she gave me the chance to learn. But I couldn’t do it just because I felt intimidated by her and the rest of the dancers there.

At the last minute I was told about another organization that was looking for interns. This was R.Evolución Latina. R.Evolución Latina came to me like a little light of hope that got brighter and brighter as I learned more about it. R.Evolución Latina is a new-age non-profit organization that lives by the motto, DARE TO GO BEYOND. They are a collective of artists and activists committed to empowering the artistic community in order to inspire growth within the Latino Community through collaboration, productions, and educational support programs. Well, it only took me a few days to be inspired, to imagine what they could do with a child’s naivety. 

On Board with R.Evolucion Latina at the Panel of Arias Dance NYC

I was lucky to come into this great organization at the right moment. It was the first rehearsal of the Choreographers Festival. I was so excited during the whole process because I got to witness how each dancer thrived as an artist and gave their all in each one of their rehearsals. I wasn’t only watching them rehearse but I was also learning from the director, choreographers, assistant choreographers and the whole RL staff. That day, I met the Founder and Director of R.Evolución Latina, Luis Salgado. I have never seen someone who is so talented, full of energy and who loves what they do so much. Every single time I saw Luis teaching the RL Dance Company, I was so amazed by his work and the way he teaches others dance is indescribable. More than once I felt like getting up from my seat and joining them in their rehearsals because I felt the energy going I loved what they were doing. I remember watching them rehearse and picturing myself in their shoes a few years from now and it was such a great feeling.      

Later in the process D1 Dance Company from Peru arrived in NYC with a different style, a different origin and a different story. These dancers were so much greater than what we expected them to be. Their passion, their energy, their flavor, their costumes and their charisma gave the Choreographers Festival more light and diversity. The reason I loved them so much is because I could relate to them and they were really nice people. I was blessed to interact with some of them and to get advice on how to reach for my goals which has helped me so much. The opening night of the Choreographers Festival was my favorite memory from working with R.Evolución Latina. I believe I saw the show about 4 or 5 times and I couldn’t help but cry every time. That’s how great it was!

My future goals are really simple. Going to college, majoring in my main interest and succeeding is what I want to do. Thanks to R.Evolución Latina I now feel more confident and more positive about going for what I want to do which is to become an artist. I have been watching amazing dancers, singers and actresses for the past three months and I would love to keep doing this my whole life. It feels great to see other people do what I like the most and enjoy every single minute of it. I can’t help but feel bad sometimes because I feel that I am so far from where I want to be, but R.Evolución Latina gives me the push I need to go beyond. I appreciate everything R.Evolución Latina has done for me and it is good to know that I have a family that is looking out for me and helping me pursue my dreams. Of course none of the things R.Evolución Latina does could be possible without their strong umbrella, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. I respect their work and I wish them the best.

This summer I will be participating in the D2GB Children’s Performing Arts Camp, to start growing as a dancer and getting on the right track. With the help of R.Evolución Latina, I will take advantage of all the classes they can offer me and learn from others who surround me. In conclusion, this internship experience has been great and it is just the beginning of a great future.