Cindy Salgado
Dance Specialty
Contemporary
Best Advice to Young Dancers
“Everyone has a unique voice and story that’s worthy to be heard. If you’re willing to share your own while being open to all those around you, you’ll continue to grow as an artist. There are countless ways to move and express yourself, so don’t ever think there is a limit to how much you can learn. If you want to work for choreographers that are going to uplift you, you need to be eager, open minded, and open hearted, because positive energies attract one another.”
Favorite Thing about an NYCDA Weekend?
“Community!!! The dance world is so small, and NYCDA has shown me how easily it can be to be connected around the country. Dancers are lucky because we learn in groups, so we get to relate to one another, inspire one another, and challenge one another. Joe believes it’s a family and I could not agree with him more.“
Background
Cindy was born in Sunnyvale, California and started dancing at the age of 3. She trained at Dance Academy USA in multiple styles and in Los Angeles and New York at various professional studios over her summers. She had the pleasure of touring with NYCDA as an assistant after becoming a National Senior Outstanding Dancer. After high school, she moved to New York to attend the Juilliard School. She met her husband there and they began a journey together, along with other artists, using their gifts to give to children in need through an organization that would later become Artists Striving To End Poverty (www.asteponline.org). She graduated with the Princess Grace Scholarship in 2005 and has been performing ever since. Cindy co-started a multimedia dance theatre company called Shook Ones in 2014.
Stage Performances
For the past three years, Cindy has been blessed with her dream job of touring with Crystal Pite’s company, Kidd Pivot. They’ve been exploring the world from theatre to theatre and living out of suitcases. Before that, she had the pleasure of dancing for Aszure Barton’s company, Aszure Barton & Artists, Peter Chu’s company, ChuThis, Lauren Adam’s concert, “Moving Still”, Dee Caspary’s company, IV, and Mia Michaels’ company, RAW. She has also performed Andy Blankenbuehler’s work in an Elton John benefit on Broadway, toured through Greece performing Mia Michaels’ work with the pop star, Anna Vissi, and had the rare honor of performing with Mikhail Baryshnikov in his “Hell’s Kitchen Dance Tour”.
TV/Film Performances
Cindy has had two brief appearances assisting Andy Blankenbuehler and Mia Michaels on “So You Think You Can Dance”. She can also be found in a TV documentary of the Juilliard School, titled “Dance School”.
Choreography
Recently, Cindy created a piece on the dancers of Kidd Pivot for a show in Frankfurt, Germany. She has played more of an assistant role on projects with Mia Michaels, including Cirque du Soleil’s concert tour, Delirium, and various other projects. She also assisted Jen Ballard with the creation of the company Cedar Lake and has been a part of preproduction for Andy Blankenbuehler on "Hamilton", “In The Heights”, “The Wiz”, “Bring It On”, and future productions.
Teaching Credits
Cindy began teaching her peers at the studio in which she trained at the age of 16 and has been eager to share ever since. She has taught at various studios around the country and occasionally for NYCDA summer programs and Nationals. Through ASTEP, she has taught in South Africa, India, South Florida, and New York, using the arts as a way of building self-esteem and community. She has also been a guest teacher for aspiring dancers and teachers in Santa Clara University, training them in ASTEP’s teaching methods. Cindy has taught classes for Shaping Sound, Geneva Ballet, NYU, Cornish, and Juilliard and has choreographed for the Peridance Certificate Program, the NYCDA Foundation Concert at the Joyce, and the NY choreographers’ showcase, BC Beat. She was Assistant Rehearsal Director for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and a cofounder and teacher for Artists Striving To End Poverty.