Eddie Torres is one of the most well-known performers, instructors and proponents of New York-style salsa. Known within the salsa community as the “Mambo King”, Eddie Torres is known for helping to elevate the level of salsa performances and passing on his knowledge to inspire and influence the next generation of professional salsa dancers.
Born and raised in the Spanish Harlem in New York, Eddie Torres began learning how to dance salsa in the 1970s, mostly from watching other dancers in the nightclub scene, because formalized salsa instruction hadn’t been developed yet.
In the 1980s Eddie Torres formed his own dance group, known as the “Eddie Torres Dancers”, and they scored a gig performing at concerts alongside mambo and salsa music legend, Tito Puente, and the team was soon performing at events around the world.
Aside from performing, Eddie Torres is known for being one of the first salsa instructors to create a structured program for instruction, with names for each of his moves and a detailed breakdown of on2 timing. Eddie’s early VHS series on salsa helped to spread his teachings outside of the studio.
In addition to salsa, Eddie Torres is also known for helping to teach and popularize other related Latin dance styles such as the mambo, cha cha cha and pachanga.
Today, Eddie Torres is known for having trained and influenced many of the top salsa dancers in New York and around the world, including his son, Eddie Torres Jr, who is also a professional salsa dancer.