Royal Mambo Legacy

Eddie Torres was born on July 3, 1950, in New York City. He began his dance career in the 1960s and quickly gained recognition for his unique style and innovation, catching the attention of "El Rey Del Timbal" Tito Puente. Together, they worked over 21 years changing the world through their hard work and passion for this cultural art form.

The Vision

Eddie Torres is widely recognized as the visionary who transformed Mambo into a respected, professional art form. At a time when Latin dance lacked formal structure, he introduced music theory to the genre and pioneered the “On2” timing—now known globally as New York Style Mambo.

In 1972, Eddie created the first official Mambo syllabus, beginning with the iconic “Suzy Q.” Since then, he has developed over 500 original steps that form the foundation of Mambo instruction worldwide.

New York’s 1st
Latin Dance Company

"A Bailar" is a powerful documentary that follows Eddie Torres on his groundbreaking journey to form the first Latin dance company in New York City. When the legendary Machito passed away, Tito Puente composed the iconic tribute “Machito Forever”—and called on Eddie to bring it to life. With only his wife, Maria Torres, by his side, Eddie rose to the challenge, training 60 street dancers for a historic performance at the Apollo Theater. The result was a resounding success, marking the birth of his pioneering dance company and a new era for Latin dance in America.

Eddie Torres Style "ON2"

Eddie Torres explains the music theory behind his "On2" technique. Prior to this, Mambo/Cha-Cha dancers didn't follow a specific timing method. Everyone stepped on different beats spontaneously, according to how they felt the music. "On2" has a very strong foundation within the Tumbao, a rhythm played by the conga instrument. The "Slap" on the 2nd beat, is the most prominent sound. Eddie used this to dictate when you break forward and back within the timing of your footwork. This clip is a segment of the Eddie Torres Instructional video collection called "Salsa, Nightclub Style" Volume 1 & 2.

Tito Puente Award

Eddie Torres receives the Tito Puente scholarship Award. Tito Puente was directly responsible for Eddie's vision to become a professional Latin dancer, and create his first dance company. Together, they continued to showcase Latin Dance & Music which inspired the world. They were able to successfully help and establish the market all around the world, for the future generations to come.

Mambo for
President George H.W. Bush

Mambo "On2" is presented to the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush at the Ford Theatre, 1992. Hosted by Jimmy Smits and Ricardo Montalban - "Ran-Kan-Kan".

"Dance City"

Eddie Torres forms his new band "Eddie Torres & his Mambo Kings Orchestra " and debuts their new studio album "Dance City" in 1994. This featured many of the original Tito Puente musicians.

THE LEGACY CONTINUES

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THE LEGACY CONTINUES ✨

Tito Jr. & Eddie Jr. Unite

Since 2016, Tito Puente Jr. & Eddie Torres Jr. have teamed up together to continue the Family Legacy and have presented several performances at the Madison Square Garden, Barclay Center, Fox 5, Good Day New York, APAP, and many other venues featuring the Mambo Royalty Dance Company.

Mambo meets
"In The Heights" Movie

Eddie Torres Jr. & Princess Serrano were the Latin choreographers for the Warner Brothers movie "In The Heights". They were responsible for performing and teaching everyone the authentic New York style of Latin Dance.