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| The
ABAKUÁ Afro-Latin Dance Company was founded October,
2000 by Frankie
Martinez, Performer, Instructor and Choreographer. |
 Frankie
Martinez, Director and Founder
Click here for Frankie's Bio
Spanish Version
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| The
Dancers |
 Israeli
born, Keren was classically trained in Ballet and Modern dance
for over 8 years. She began studying Latin dance in 1987 and
instructed for 2 years. After being spotted on stage in Israel
in April 2004, Keren was asked to join The Company and moved
to the U.S. to train and study under Frankie Martinez. She
has been active with The Company since June of 2005.. |
A graduate of Suny Binghamton, Manny “as he is affectionately
called,” began his dance training with Eddie and Maria
Torres and went on to study with several of his inspirations
including Frankie Martinez and Delille Thomas. Manny danced
for a short time with the “Addie-tude” Dance Company
under Director, Addie Diaz before joining the Abakua Afro-Latin
Dance Company in 2002.
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 A
native New Yorker of both Puerto Rican and Indonesian decent,
Aisha studied Puerto Rican folklore dance from a young age
in Puerto Rico. Aisha’s dance training spans from belly
dance to Flamenco and beyond. A hairstylist and make-up artist
by trade, she is the co-founder of the Abakua Afro-Latin Dance
Company and one of Frankie Martinez’s premier dance
partners.
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 Of
Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian descent, Melissa began her dance
training studying Modern Dance in High School. She earned
a B.A. in Video/TV with a minor in Dance from Hoffstra University.
Melissa danced for 2 years with Imagenes de Karisma Latin
Dance Company before studying with Frankie Martinez. After
one year as an understudy, Melissa was inducted into ABAKUA
in 2005. |
 John
Piazza is a Brooklyn native of Italian descent. He began his
dance training in 2002, taking classes at Salsa Groove in
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He was invited to be a principal dancer
in Jason Myra's dance company, Tumbao due to his talent and
exemplary discipline. His accolades continued as he worked
with other prominent New York City Latin dancers such as Addie
Diaz and Marisol Ramirez. John began to train with Frankie
Martinez in 2005 and was invited to join ABAKUA in 2007. |
 Lori
has danced since an early age and began performing with a
youth dance company called “Young Ambition” at
the age of fifteen. Trained in many styles of dance, Lori
was the principal travel dance partner of Frankie Martinez
for two years and has danced for the Company since early 2002. |
Jimmy Ruiz started his dance career at
the age of 13, performing with the Starlite Dance Studio and
Side Street Kids. Having danced for short periods with both,
he was afforded the opportunity to travel and perform in various
places both in and out of the country. His continuing passion
for dance moved him to seek out and train with a multitude of
well-known instructors, and eventually landed him an opportunity
with the Eddie Torres Dance Company. A recent graduate of Cornell
University, Jimmy holds a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations.
Jimmy came on board as an understudy shortly after graduation,
and was officially inducted into the group in the fall of 2005.
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| Administrative
Team |
Board Member, Production Manager
Johnny Matos joined ABAKUA in 2001. As a dancer, Johnny had
the opportunity to perform and teach until his transition
from being in front to behind the curtain in 2006. Currently
Johnny works closely with the dance company in all capacities.
His role as an administrator overseeing various projects will
allow him to continue to contribute to the growth and development
of the ABAKUA Afro-Latin dance company. He is personally available
to each member of the dance company for general guidance,
support and motivation. His interests are in nurturing and
cultivating a growth-facilitating environment that will allow
each dancer to seize their dance and life potential. When
he is not at the studio, he works fulltime as a rehabilitation
manager on an interdisciplinary treatment team to provide
comprehensive medical services to adult patients. Johnny's
special interests are brain and spinal cord injuries, multiple
sclerosis and pain management.
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Board
Member, Development and Education
In addition to being a long-standing member of ABAKUA, Manny
also has taken on a significant role behind the scenes in
his work with the group. Among the many projects that he works
on, he currently manages the company newsletter as well as
the website and is working diligently on improving all facets
of the organization of ABAKUA. Manny's primary goals are to
develop programs to promote dancer training/development. Outside
of the studio, Manny works as Therapist in a Harlem public
school. Manny hopes to combine his love for dance with his
passion for human development. |
Artistic
Coordinator
Aisha’s contributions to the ABAKUA Afro-Latin Dance
Company have been countless since it’s inception in
2000. As cofounder of the dance company, Aisha helped to set
the tone for artistic direction of the company. Her ability
to capture the vision of the company’s repertoire in
costume, make-up and hair has been invaluable to establishing
the ABAKUA unique style. Constantly evolving, Aisha’s
dynamic personality and limitless passion have contributed
to plethora of artistic projects in music, film &dance.
Her work has been featured in Latina Magazine, Fuego Magazine,
American Latino TV, New York Fashion Week, Modern Style
among many other media and events. |
