Cyber-Interview of the Month: Brenda Bryd
- by Manny Siverio

This Month we interview Bronx, New York Mambo Instructor Brenda Bryd.

Brenda (right) dancing with fellow NY Mambo Dancer Mario Diaz
Manny: Do you like dancing to older tunes or the newer ones?
Brenda: OLDER MUSIC!!!!  Which is ironic because I'm so young.

How long have you been dancing mambo and what got you into it?
9 years

What other types of dance have you studied besides mambo?
Jazz, Modern, Tap Dance, Flamenco, Ballet and Afro-Cuban

What got you into Mambo dancing?
As a requirement at the dance school I was attending, I
had to choose two classes.  Mambo was the only class available.

How long have you've been performing?
I've been performing since I was six but Mambo for nine
years.

When was your first dance gig?
My first dance gig was a recital in June of 1984.  My
first Mambo dance recital, was in June of 1989.

List some of the gigs you have been a part of and have you ever
performed on TV or film?
The Puerto Rican Day Parades, Madison Square Garden with
Eddie Torres and Santo Rico.  Gozamba, Tito Puente's Orchestra, Jerry
Rivera's tour of Peru, Fania All Stars in Puerto Rico, JVC Jazz Festival
in Rhode Island w/ Tito Puente and "La India", Lincoln Center w/ Giovanni
Hidalgo and Tito Puente.

Who do you consider to be your biggest mentor as a dancer?  What
have they given you to make you a better dancer?
Eddie Torres has been my mentor.  I remember after
rehearsals, he used to play music and get inspired and whatever came out
of him did.  It still gives me chills just to think about it.  So
sometimes whenever I feel sad, alone, stressed out, I just play some of
my favorite music and just dance.

Brenda (left) posing with fellow NY Mambo Dancer
Addie Diaz before going on stage
Manny: What do you recommend to others who want to be Mambo performers?
What should they do or steps they should take?
Brenda: I think that people shouldn't be in such a rush to be a
Star!  It comes with great  practice and rehearsals and KNOWLEDGE OF THE
MUSIC!

Do you perform now?  Who do you perform with?  What are the names of
the dancer groups you are with?
Yes I perform now.  I am working mostly with a group
called "La Santa Luz", a new and inovative dance company which
incorporates a kaleidoscope of dance to transform Jazz, Modern, Ballet,
Tap, Flamenco, African, Latin, Urban and the distinct use of sign
language into an eclectic display of creativity.
Also with the world renouned Mambo King, Tito Puente and one of New
York's major cross-over (Latin Market as well as English Martket) Salsa
Artist, Tito Nieves.

Where have you traveled to perform?
Puerto Rico, Peru, Miami, New Hampshire, Virginia,
Connecticut, Boston, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., California, Detroit &
Michigan.

What was it like to perform in public for the first time?
The only word to describe it would be "Catharsis".

What was it that got you to perform for the first time?
Other than the dance recital, which was mandatory, a local
gig with Eddie Torres.

What has been your favorite gig?
Performing with Fania All Stars in Puerto Rico - My
Favorite group in my favorite place, need I say more?

Do you dance mambo for a living or as a side line/hobby?  What is
it that you do for a living other than Mambo?
I still do perform and dance when there is time available
for me to.  I'm a full time student attending CUNY's Brooklyn College
majoring in Journalism with a background in Television & Radio.  I also
teach at Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club's national award willing K-Company
& Jr. K-Company (two performing groups) and at the Police Athletic
League in the Bronx.

Have you ever considered teaching Mambo?  Yes or no and why?
Yes, but only to children.  I find it more challenging
and fun to teach children.

Where do you want to go as a dancer?  Do you see yourself as a
choreographer, a teacher or a performer?
As a dancer overall, I'd like to go back and explore
every aspect of dance, I think that is a real dancer.  In Mambo, I feel
like I have accomplished all that there is to accomplish having danced
for Eddie Torres, Tito Puente, Fania All Stars, Madison Square Garden.

How is it that you get your gigs?
Mostly just being in the business, if someone gets a gig
they call you up.  I work closely with the office of Ralph Mercado
Management in which I get most of the gigs I do.

Who do you work with most?
Tito Puente, Tito Nieves

Where do you like to dance when you are in New York?  What is your
favorite club or night to dance for the week?
It used to be Side Street on Sundays in the Bronx (which was probably
every dancers spot).  But since it's recent closing there isn't really a
place I enjoy as much.

Do you call what you dance Salsa or Mambo and why?
I call what I do Mambo, it is Mambo!  Salsa is just a
marketable name that means "sauce" that was used when Mambo wasn't too
hot.

How hard has it been for you to get to where you are as a dancer
today?
It has been hard.  I feel I have paid my dues, especially
because I'm one of the younger performers.  Emotionally and physically
it has been difficult but well worth it.  It is what has made me the
dancer I am today.

Do you have a favorite artist (singer), CD or song to dance to?
My favorite artists are Ruben Blades and Hector Lavoe.

Do you find that Mambo Dancers are appreciated by others?
Very rarely, but we have us to thank for that.  I find
that there is no unity, respect or appreciation amongst each other so
how can we expect anyone else to.

How do you feel after you perform a gig?
Performing for me is therapeutic to do as well as
therapeutic to watch.  I feel like I have taken someone's problems away
just for that moment as well as mine.

Do you think Mambo dancing has grown over the last couple of years?
Despite the differences amongst the dancers, I do believe
that Mambo is becoming more recognizable all over the world.

Where were you born?
I was born in the Bronx, New York.

Where are your parents from?
My mother is from San German, Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican)
and my father is from New York City (African American).

What do you think it takes for you to be a good dancer?  What did
you have to do?
Lots of practice and rehearsals.  But most importantly
knowing the music.  I used to have five hour rehearsals every Saturday
with only a fifteen minute break.  Also, I used to have theory classes
(music and percussion instruments).

How would you describe your style of dancing?
I think that everyone is unique in their own way, what
makes me unique is how I feel the music.  People get caught up in how
they look and if they are impressing someone.  I just feel the music and
let it guide my body.