2005 Judges and Teachers

Neri Torres

Choreographer/ Performer/Professor
and Founder of BAILA USA

Neri Torres had been living in the United States for only nine years when "Glamour Magazine" named her "Woman of the Year" for her contributions to the world of dance in the year 2000.

And, after a meteoric burst onto the cultural South Florida scene, the electrifying dancer/choreographer is only beginning to skirt the pinnacle of her artistry and international projection.

Not long after her arrival in Florida from Cuba by way of Italy, where she had a dance engagement, Neri's prowess and profound expertise in the areas of rumba, salsa, mambo, and every manifestation of the Afro Cuban fusion, caught the eye of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.

From 1996 until 2003, she toured with and was principal dancer and choreographer for Gloria Estefan, whose video "No me Dejes de Querer" choreographed by Torres, obtained a Grammy award in year 2000.

Neri continued to work with world renowned pop and Latin stars, such as Roselyn Sanchez, Carlos Ponce, Albita Rodriguez, Willy Chirino and the late great queen of them all: Celia Cruz.
Ms. Torres was recently tapped by actor Andy Garcia to choreograph his latest film, "The Lost City."

Torres graduated from the famed Havanaís Arts Institute in Havana, where she trained extensively in every form of the dance, from jazz to ballet to modern, contemporary and Afro Cuban.

She is entirely too young to boast of a career spanning more than twenty years and almost every continent in the world, but Neri has choreographed, written, directed and performed shows which range from musicals, movies, commercials to videos, before thousands of captivated and enthralled audiences whom she invariably brings to their feet, both dancing and applauding.

However, not content to rest on her laurels and on the seal of approval of the already famous, Neri founded the IFE ILE Afro-Cuban Festival in 1998. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the festival and the company.

In 2002, Neri changed the name to BAILA USA Dance Festival to include others who share her cultural roots. BAILA means "dance" in Spanish, while USA reflects plans to take the Festival nationwide. Under this new umbrella term, Torres sought to reflect the multi-ethnicity of South Florida, and include all the manifestations of the dance pertaining to each nationality.

Neri Torres is now considered a dance ambassador from South Florida and Latino USA to other countries and continents, who invariably welcome her with open arms and extend her their invitations time and again.

Ms. Torres has been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers, movies, commercials, and on network and cable television.

She has performed in the famous Calle Ocho Festival, the Orange Bowl Parade, the Super Bowl, the Latin Grammys and the Latin Billboard Awards. She has made guest appearances on the Barbara Walters produced television program, "The View," on "David Letterman," "Cristina," on the Univision International Network, "The Today Show," and "Rosie," with Rosie O'Donnel.