Improve And Have Fun

Erick Jael Fuentes is a dancer I'd see in local dance classes and on my Instagram feed. One late night in 2019, we both attended a party. He impressed me with his different styles on the dancefloor. He's Hispanic like me, and in this NYC Dancehall space, Hispanic male dancers are few and far between. I was curious to speak with him; we got a chance to do so before the pandemic. Erick is originally from Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico. He feels he was born into dance as his parents, Alejandra and Galdino, met at a block party. Erick's parents came to America to make money and support him. He stayed behind with his grandmother, Silvia, who raised him. Silvia would teach dance classes to the public at the 'Casa De La Cultura.' She taught what excited her, such as Cumbia, Mambo, Swing, and more. Erick started following along at four years old. There is a stigma with young men dancing, where it can be interpreted as feminine or gay; Erick wasn't exempt. His step-grandfather ostracized him. That later turned into encou