LAWRENCE — Marvelous, amazing, inspiring and thrilling.
Those are among the words Luis Salgado, an accomplished Broadway performer, director and choreographer, used to describe a group of Lawrence student actors and teachers he worked with recently.{/span}
Salgado, a Puerto Rican native, returned recently to LHS for a third visit to work with LHS student actors and performers in a hands-on, drama workshop.
As a high school student Salgado said he wasn’t offered any of the “intense training” that’s available to LHS drama students.
Salgado, who performed in the Tony Award-winning musical “In The Heights,” said he was impressed to work with the diverse group of predominantly Latino students.
This is the third year Salgado has come to LHS to work with the drama students and faculty. He worked with students in the Advanced Musical Theater who are in grades 9 through 12.
Salgado founded R.Evolucion Latina, a program in New York that encourages Latino youth to get involved in the performing arts. His goal is to show students they deserve such careers and that it’s a viable profession for them.
Laurie Donlan, LHS performing arts coach, became aware of R.Evolucion Latina during the COVID-19 shutdowns during 2020.
”I did research and contacted Broadway artists and organizations like R.Evolucion Latina to see if they had the time to work with our performing arts facility and/or our students on Zoom. Their organization actually called me back and was thrilled to work with us. That first year we had the theater and dance teachers in professional development classes with Broadway artists that were based in dance movement, Latin choreography, Shakespeare, Understanding the Latino performer, Choreography, Storytelling, Directing and more. We finally had a professional development series with Luis Salgado himself and the relationship started. He was a perfect fit for our faculty and eventually our students,” Donlan explained.
During his recent visit, Donlan noted Salgado’s national tour with Gloria Esteban’s musical “On Your Feet ‘’ happened to be in Massachusetts the weekend Luis himself was working with the students.
”We took advantage of that opportunity and Luis had the two dance captains from ‘On Your Feet’ do a few-hour workshop with our students,” Donlan said.
The students learned a medley from the production and Salgado, who is the “On Your Feet” director/choreographer, and the two dance captains, led the workshop.
”Sixty-five of our LHS students then went to see the production of “On Your Feet” that evening and had a wonderful talk back session with the cast after the show,” Donlan said.
A black box theater at LHS is named in Salgado’s honor. Students previously lobbied to name the theater after Salgado, not only out of gratitude for the lessons he shared, but also for the example that he set.
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter @EagleTribJill.