DIRECTOR / CHOREOGRAPHER
A Puerto Rican artist who is a versatile performer whose career has molded him into an internationally established director, choreographer, and a teacher.
Broadway World
A Puerto Rican artist who is a versatile performer whose career has molded him into an internationally established director, choreographer, and a teacher.
Broadway World
Drawing, painting, and infusing stories through movement is Luis Salgado’s first impulse when creating art. Deeply committed to emotional truth, he crafts work that is visually compelling and rooted in purposeful storytelling — always in service of the characters and the audience.
Luis Salgado is an award-winning international director, choreographer, performer, and educator from Puerto Rico, based in New York City.
He is the Director/Choreographer of the Second National Tour of On Your Feet! The Musical – The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan and recently directed a new production of 1776 at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.
His recent directing and choreographing credits include Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and AIDA at STAGES St. Louis (the latter earning a St. Louis Theatre Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Production of a Musical).
At GALA Hispanic Theatre, he helmed the world premiere of On Your Feet! La Historia de Emilio y Gloria Estefan ¡En Español!, which led the 2023 Helen Hayes Awards with fifteen nominations and nine wins, including Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction, and Outstanding Choreography in a Musical. He also directed and choreographed the U.S. premiere of the Spanish-language In the Heights, which received nine 2018 Helen Hayes Awards, including Outstanding Production, Direction, and Choreography.
Luis served as Assistant Latin Choreographer on the Tony Award–winning Broadway production of In the Heights. He was also Associate Director/Choreographer of Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour in Hamburg, Germany.
His work across the United States and internationally includes Ella Es Colombia (Bogotá), the Holland production of On Your Feet!, Ragtime, To Be or Not to Be… A Shakespearean Experience, Fame, Amigo Duende the Musical, Matilda, Song of Solomon, Speed-the-Plow, The Tempest, and Candela: Fuerza y Pasión in Lima, Peru.
He also directed Viva Broadway’s When We See Ourselves concert as part of the Curtain Up event in Times Square, produced by Playbill and The Broadway League.
Expanding into the music industry, Luis conceived the original story idea for the music video “Papasito” by Karol G, bringing his signature narrative vision and theatrical sensibility to the project.
Luis continues to develop original work, including BARBA, a Brazilian body-percussion musical, a newly commissioned piece celebrating Colombian culture for GALA Hispanic Theatre, and Gypsy Woman, featuring music by Crystal Waters.
As a performer, Luis has appeared on Broadway in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Rocky, In the Heights, and On Your Feet!, as well as in Off-Broadway productions and Broadway tryouts including The Mambo Kings, Fame on 42nd Street, and AIDA. His film credits include American Gangster, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, Dirty Dancing (TV remake), Enchanted, and Step Up 2: The Streets, where he also served as Assistant Choreographer. He has choreographed animated features for Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer Girls and created work for WONKA Inc and McDonald’s “Latinos R One.”
Driven by a passion for meaningful storytelling and social impact, Luis founded Salgado Productions to develop and produce work that serves a purpose. Expanding from New York to South America, the company creates productions and educational programming rooted in cultural authenticity and community engagement.
He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of R.Evolución Latina, an affiliate of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, dedicated to empowering communities through the arts and creating lasting cultural impact.
