Celebrity Showcase 
Addie Diaz
A Photographic Journey in the development 
of a NY Mambo Performer
-by Manny Siverio

Photos Courtesy of Pablo Munoz of Mambon2.com, Addie Diaz, Manny Siverio, Damian Achilles and Lisa Allen.

On July 26, 2002 Addie Diaz was honored by her peers during the July Con Sazon Celebrity Showcase. The event was held in the Bronx at the Con Sazon Nightclub (formerly Side Street). Various top NY Mambo celebrities such as Thomas Guerrero, Mario Diaz, Alma Gonzalez, Toni Mendoza, David Melendez and Nelson Flores came to speak about Addie, her career, her development as a dancer and her contributions to the NY mambo dance scene. She was trained to be a professional Latin dancer by the late Evelyn Leon; was one of the "RMM Dancers" during 1994 & 1995 Combinacion Perfecta Tour, has traveled internationally to countries such as Japan, England, France, Germany and Switzerland, She is the director of the Addie-tude Dance Company, is an experienced mambo instructor known for her Ladies Styling, has taught workshops around the world, has been featured in various publications and is the author of her own instructional video tapes. Known for her creative dance choreography, the Celebrity Showcase featured several of her works performed by The Side Street Kids, The Con Sazon Dance Company and by her very own Addie-tude Dance Company. Digging through the archives we've managed to collect a series of photos which help illustrate Addie's career as a Mambo Dancer

Dancers Fantasy Stars Era

Addie's first group photo was with The
Dancers Fantasy Stars. (Left to Right)
Mario Diaz (no relation to Addie), Addie,
Evelyn Leon and Angel (Negro)
Rodriguez. Mario was Addie's first dance
partner, while the late Evelyn Leon was
Addie's mentor and the person responsible
for getting her into the professional dance
scene.

Addie (Left) and Evelyn Leon
(right) posing together during an
early Dancers Fantasy Stars gig.

RMM Dancers Era

These pictures were taken when Addie was performing as an RMM Dancer during 
the Combinacion Perfecta Tour.

Santo Rico Era

Performing "The Soneros" routine during the 1st Annual Salsa Congress in San Juan Puerto Rico in 1997 while she was a member of Santo Rico. The photos highlight Addie's trademark..... her beaming smile!

Descarga Latina Dance Company Era
Addie was a founding member of the Descarga Latina Dance Company. These pictures were taken when the group first traveled to Los Angeles to perform at both the Sportsman Lodge and The Mayan Club.

Finishing pose at L.A.'s
SPORTSMAN LODGE with Nelson
Flores.

Doing open floorwork with other
members of Descarga Latina at
L.A.'s SPORTSMAN LODGE

Performing with
Descarga Latina at
L.A.'s MAYAN
NIGHTCLUB

Addie-Tude Dance Company Era
After leaving Descarga Latina, Addie formed the Addie-tude Dance Company. During this time she cemented her position as a respected mambo instructor, became sought after for her ladies styling, was the first female dance company director to take her group overseas and established herself as a diversified and creative dance choreographer.

Addie ran a popular
dance class in Midtown
Manhattan. Her classes
were known for the
personal touch and
individual attention she
gave her students. She
stop teaching classes in
order to focus on other
aspects of her dance
career (i.e. Dance
Company, Latin Madness, etc). She still is in
demand for her private
one-on-one sessions.

The Addie-Tude Dance Company is known for its very Jazzy Style of 
Dancing as well for its diversity in dance choreography.
    
Each of the group's numbers look different from the rest. From Traditional Mambo and Cha Cha numbers (i.e. Arrecotin and Fuego) to theatrical dance numbers like the intricate and playful Nutcracker Number "Muneca" and the intensive West Side Story knife fighting number "Hustler". 
   
Several of Addie's Dance numbers (Muneca, Hustler, Love For Sale, Shinning Knight) have been featured in all three runs of the off-Broadway Mambo Musical Latin Madness.

Top Left: Addie as Raggedy "Addie" in the Nutcracker Number "Muneca" during Latin Madness III.

Top Right: Performing in the Zoot Suit Cha Cha Number Shinning Knight during Latin Madness III

Left: Dancing with Vittico Pacheco in the Palladium Scene of Latin Madness III

Dancer, Instructor, Performer, Dance Company Director & Choreographer; Addie Diaz has done it all. Where to next? Is this the end of the line or just the beginning? Only time will tell. 

Special Thanks again to Pablo Munoz of Mambon2.com, Addie Diaz, Manny Siverio, Damian Achilles and Lisa Allen for providing the photos on this page.