Debbie (Rosado) Ferro - Hustle / Disco WCS + Salsa

Debbie (Rosado) Ferro -
by Ron Bess

What do you get when you take an Uptown girl, throw in 10 years of classical Ballet training and put her in the Hustle arena? Clearly one of yesterday and today's sharpest dancers.
"Ballet wasn't a choice." At age four, lessons were three times a week and rehearsals at Carnegie Hall on Saturdays. Looking back, Debbie knows it was a great foundation for her dancing.
In high school she started to learn the hustle when she hooked up with George Vascones. George introduced her to Latin dancing and brought her into the "Latin Symbolics" dance troop.
Hungry to expand her dance knowledge, this uptown girl was seeking out the down town night life. On Tuesday nights, if you wanted to dance, you went to Club Ipanema.
Ralph Lew was the MC and the young talented dancers included Floyd & Nellie, Ray Bogart & Maryrose Fontain and Billy & Sandra. This became a regular place to frequent.
With her first hustle partner, Jose' Cruz, they won a big dance contest at Roseland but George Vascones had bigger and better plans for Deb. He wanted her to partner with a fellow "Latin Symbolic," an exciting, innovative dancer by the name of Perico (Frank Reyes). The chemistry clicked and Perico was making things happen.
Together they won an all expense paid, nine day trip to Brazil to compete in an international competiton..They won the prestigious televised "South American Dance Championships" held in Venezuela. Back in the states, Perico established an alliance with Billy Fajardo and the "Disco Dance Dimensions" were underway.
The act took off.
Disco was hot and the troop had all the key ingredients: attractive, talented, exciting costumes and all the members wore matching hair styles & could literally pass as sibling.
Bingo, it was a hit.
They did an electrifying performance on "The Soap Factory" dance show, David Suskind Show, the Catskill Mountains circuit, Chateau Madrid, and a three month European tour. But the highlight for Debbie, as a Dance Dimension, was performing on the Nationally televised "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" show.
"They put us up in Beverly Hills, it was the best. We got paid to do what we love ." In two days they shot 12 dance numbers, the entire season of shows.
The troop was ready to go on tour again, but it was to much for Debbie. After being away for three months she longed to stay in New York. She admits to "doing a lot of growing up when your out of the country" on a three month tour.
Then, "the bomb came, I got married." Debbie dropped out of the dance world for nearly nine years. But as the relationship desolved, she received an inspiring call from Ralph Lew. He invited her to join his dance company. She would partner with George Valasquez. She was back. "Dancing is very therapeutic. It's an escape, I can have a terrible day but dancing can put me in a different place. You forget about everything." Recognized for her "all around" dance skills, Debbie's early training shines through as she dances with such elegance utilizing foot work, shoulder and hand techniques.
One of her fondest memories was appearing in the motion picture "Summer of Sam" which was shot in New York just a couple of years ago. Now happily married (Ralph Ferro), she is a a Marketing Management Specialist with Prudential Financial. But social dancing is still a big part of their lives. And for the future,"maybe down the road, I would like to coach."
As a young girl, her mother wouldn't permit her to skate or ski.( A concern that it could have a negative impact on her ballet.) Today, Debbie is very grateful for her mothers encouragement and foresight, it has helped shape her to become the dancer she is today.

Click to Return to the -