Angel Rodriguez (Mr. RazzMTazz)
Angel Rodriguez is the Millennium's first winner of Salsaweb's Lifetime
Achievement Award for dance.
Puerto Rican, born in New York, Angel is the founder of the Nuyorican
style of salsa, which he calls "Razzmtazz." In 1987, he started the RazzMTazz
Dance company, and has been busy ever since performing and teaching his
trademark moves in New York and around the globe.
PERFORMING: Angel's first great performance was as a Latin Symbolic for
Machito back in the 80s. From Rome to Amsterdam to New York's Madison
Square Garden, he has danced on the world's most hallowed stages with
artists such as Mark Anthony, Tito Rojas, and Tito Puente.
TEACHING: A lifelong dancer and Harvest Moon Ball Champion, Angel has
trained thousands of students and many of today's top salseros. He has
toured all through Europe as a master instructor and performer, and continues
to run his world-famous Mambo/Salsa workshops in the New York Tri-state
Area. A graduate of Boricua college, he has started dance programs at
numerous colleges and universities, including New York University, Saint
John's University, and at La Guardia. He is currently finishing his first
book- Salsa U.S.A.
CHOREOGRAPHY: As the head choreographer of Razzmtazz dance company, Angel
has composed arrangements and provided training for the Barcardi dancers,
the Coors dancers, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and hundreds of Latin music
videos.
VIDEO, FILM, AND TV APPEARANCES: The
popular RazzMTazz instructional videos, a series called "The Encyclopedia
of Latin Dance," have made Angel a familiar face internationally. He is
also recognized for appearances in such films as "Carlito's Way" with
Al Pacino and "The Cowboy Way" with Kiefer Sutherland and Woody Harrelson,
which featured his Razzmtazz team as the principle dancers. On the small
screen, his credits include guest spots on PBS' "Gotta Dance" and "Sesame
Street," alongside Gloria Estefan on "The View," and with Ricky Martin
on "Good Morning America."
