A letter From our founder

My name is Luis Salgado, and I am the founder and director of R.Evolución Latina.

We are an organization that serves as an advocate and forum for growth within the Latino community. Through my work, I am a direct result of the power and change that happens when one is exposed to the arts. I can tell you that the values, perspective, and self-confidence I have today come from my exposure to theatre, dance, literature, and music at an early age. My artistic journey has led me to direct, choreograph, and perform in various projects including In the Heights (Original Broadway Cast), On Your Feet! The Story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan (OBC) Rocky the Musical (OBC), and in the adaption of Pedro Almodovar’s Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown. In the film industry, I have been part of films such as “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “Enchanted”, alongside well-known artists Olga Tanon and Thalia. However, my most memorable performance was Esto es Puerto Rico at age 9 in my elementary school, where we created a makeshift curtain with my bed sheets and transformed my community center into a theater.

It was my continual contact and relationship with ART that brought me to this moment and inspired me to initiate a movement to inspire people like me to benefit from the power of art. This magical experience and the urge to share it with others were the driving forces from which R.Evolución Latina was born. 

Through educational and collaborative programming, R.Evolución Latina utilizes the arts to empower communities that have been disproportionately affected, enabling them to discover their full potential. Since our beginnings in 2007, we have been able to build a team that is committed to making a difference through the arts and believes they can empower individuals to create a better today and build a brighter future. Through our efforts, we have cultivated an artistic community eager to share the best of their talent to inspire and support the gaps we observe in our community and in the development of our youth. From professional artists, young artists, our children, and partners such as Antonio Banderas, Sergio Trujillo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and so many others we can DARE TO GO BEYOND.

With over 15 years of experience, R.Evolución Latina has evolved into a hub of advocacy and artistic expression, fostering a dedicated community committed to creating change. Over the past decade alone, our reach has extended around the globe, encompassing diverse programs. This expansion has included collaboration with our friends in Colombia, providing aid to our community of artists and families in Puerto Rico, and welcoming international artists from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Spain who have come to study with us in New York City. Through our work, we continue to empower and inspire generations of artists. Each program we offer, from events to productions to collaborations is rooted in our message of daring to go beyond; with this message, we have impacted hundreds of lives around the world. 

For our next step, we need you, champions of the arts - people who place their beliefs in the transformative power of art. Our donors and partners protect, defend, and take a stand for our growth to support a healthier community. As we continue to grow to be that positive change in our community, we earnestly seek your support, time, dedication, and, above all, your wholehearted commitment to make a meaningful difference in our world. 

As an affiliate of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), the nation’s leading theatre industry-based non-profit organization, we are inspired day in and day out by the work they do and challenge ourselves to take action and continue to serve our communities. Today, we expand the possibilities of businesses we trust through collaboration, and partner to support one another to be the change we can only achieve together.