2710 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10025
(212) 665-9460

Taller People

Bernardo Palombo is the founder and Artistic Director of El Taller Latino Americano. He began the Workshop in 1979 in a small space on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and moved to the current location on Broadway and 104th Street in 1996.

Born in Mendoza, Argentina, Palombo achieved his first musical success at the age of 17 when his song "Vendimiador" was recorded by the legendary Argentinean vocal group, Los Trovadores, and became an immediate and long-lasting hit. He moved to New York City in 1969 and continued to write songs that have been recorded by some of the best-known exponents of Latin music in New York and Nueva Canción in South America including Mercedes Sosa, Philip Glass, Conjunto Libre and Lucecita Benitez. Palombo also became a musical consultant and composer for film and television, involving himself in such diverse and innovative projects as the Lucas/Coppola production of Powaqqatsi, the film Americas in Transition and the PBS show Sesame Street, who have featured some of his Spanish language songs.

Bernardo's musical background and 30+ years of teaching inspired the development of El Taller's unique acoustic based language programs for adults and children. Prior to founding El Taller, Bernardo taught at the New School, Sarah Lawrence, Yeshiva University and the United Nations School. But it is at El Taller that his vision for language education flourished. In recognition of his unique contribution to the education and the arts, Bernardo received the Independent Educator's Award from Teachers College at Columbia University and numerous grants from the National Endowment of the Arts.

Meet some of the staff and other teachers who are important parts of the El Taller family:

Board of Directors:
Bernardo Palombo
Andrea Arroyo
Stephen Brown
Mic Minard
Carmen Rivera-Tirado
Suzanne Sousa
Renée Typaldos

Administrative & Creative Staff:
Bernardo Palombo — Founder, Artistic Director, Director of the Houses of Music and Language
Jennifer Pliego — Deputy Director, Director of the House of Art
Meagan Van Ahn — Program Manager, Director of the House of Children
Rosario Calatayud-Serna — Operations Manager
Cristina Kahn — Administrative Assistant
Demian Palombo — Maintenance

Teachers:
Bernardo Palombo — Spanish
Alexandra Castaño — Spanish, Spanish for Children
Andrea Enríquez — Spanish, Spanish for Children
Daniel Fetecua-Soto— Salsa
Libia Gil —Spanish
Noralíz Ruíz —Spanish
Rebecca Salazar —Spanish, Spanish for Children
Yolanda Torres —Spanish
Meagan Van Ahn — Spanish for Children

Casa México:
Isabel Navarro — Founder & President
Carlos Navarro — Executive Director
Terry Romero — Founder & Vice-President
George Trivino —Assistant to the Board of Directors/ English Teacher
Raul Perez — Music Teacher

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Teacher Spotlight:

Salsa teacher, Daniel Fetecua-Soto is a professional modern dancer, current member of the renown Limon Dance Company based in NYC. Born in the Colombian capital city of Bogotá, Daniel grew up in the barrio listening to salsa, merengue, chucuchucu and Colombian traditional music, watching the adults and dancing on old records of La FANIA All Stars, Joe Arroyo, Grupo Niche, Oscar de Leon, Rafael Cortijo y su Combo, and many others.

Daniel developed a real passion for dancing and he pursued it until he finally turning that passion in to a career, becoming a modern dancer as well as a Colombian Folklore specialist and teacher. Daniel has always been dancing and sharing his passion with others through classes and performances. In 2002, Daniel won the Salsa Competition in the historical "Rumbon Melon" in Bogotá. That same year, he moved to Germany to study modern dance. In 2004, he was awarded in the International Salsa Competition in Velvert, Germany. In 2003, Fetecua founded Pajarillo Pinta'o, a dance company that crosses cultural divides to bring together traditional Colombian Folklore with modern dance.

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