Nelly Cotto -
by Ron Bess
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SPOTLIGHT While recuperating in the hospital her older sister, Dora, visited her to exclaimed there is a new dance out where upon she began to teach her the hot new craze, right there in the hospital. She was only 13 years old. She started studying ballet when she was only 3. Nelly Cotto hasn't stopped dancing since. For almost 30 years, Nelly has dazzled audiences all over the world. She was destined to become the premier hustle dancer of our time. Dancing in the Bronx, NY, Nelly began to partner with Roy as part of the Latin Symbolics. We would rehearse and practice mambo and hustle but Roy wasn't ready to perform live yet, remembers Nelly. As the hustle originated in the South Bronx, Nelly explains how the girls, back then, did all the movements, the hustle had no turn patterns yet. The guy just stood there as the girl did all the movements. We would practice and dance at house parties. In 1974, a friend at the Butterfly Discotheque introduced her to Floyd Chishom. He was tall and slick. After performing in the motion film Roseland, Floyd was searching for a new partner. The disco dance phenomenon was beginning to explode. A major tri state dance contest was being held. Nine dance clubs, from three different states, would hold preliminary contests. We won the battle dance contest at the Sesame Street Club which meant we went to the finals at the Copacobana in New York City. All nine finalists from the different clubs would compete for the chance of a life time to go to Hollywood and appear on the celebrated Merv Griffin Television show. Floyd and Nelly won the finals and were flown out to California. I thought we were just going to appear on the show and be interviewed..... I didn't know we would be competing on TV, recalls Nelly. With only four months rehearsal time together, this young couple, (Nelly was only 16 years old) would shock the country with their incredible style of dance. Dancing to the sound track from the motion picture Thank God Its Friday they would compete on television against regional dance champions from all over the USA. Dressed from head to tails in all white, this young NY couple would mesmerize the studio audience with lifts, tricks and hustle dancing never witnessed before on television. This was her defining moment. Dancing to the songs After Dark and Find My Way, Floyd and Nelly would become the King And Queen Of Disco, (in 1978), as they were awarded framed Gold Records from the motion picture Thank God It's Friday. The nationally televised Merv Griffin Show received their highest ratings...ever. After returning back to NY, the team would continue to hoan their skills. A major contest was being promoted and would take place at the world famous Regines night club. The winners would be flown to Hollywood to compete on a new TV pilot called Disco Fever. Nelly and Floyd once again took first place honors and returned to Hollywood to compete on this new developmental television project. As they marched to the stage to tape their segment for the TV show, just minutes before the camera's rolled, Nelly and Floyd were paged to return to the office. We were told we could not compete. Floyd was in a frenzy, explains Nelly. Since Merv Griffin was owner of the new TV pilot, the producers felt it was unfair for us to compete since we had just won on the Merv Griffin show a few months earlier. Floyd was so heart broken he complained and they agreed to invite us back to perform on the Merv Griffin show in 1979, explains Nelly. The new pilot was filmed, (without them), it was a hit. The show was later renamed, Dance Fever. The rest is history. The dance pioneers would return to NY and would appear on the Merv Griffin Show in a dance special, as agreed upon, when in Los Anglos. With assistance from dance coach and choreographer Rocco, they now had more experience under their belts. The couple would wow the audience and catch the eyes of many producers and organizers. Regine would ask them to fly to Paris to perform at her other night clubs abroad. With their new found celebrity status, Floyd envisioned starting his own dance troop. The Disco Dance Stars were born. After winning another contest in Long Island, Floyd and Nelly were entertained by another young couple that performed their style. Ricky Quintana and Lisa Nunziella had the showmanship they were looking for. Along with Danny Llaurado & Carol Famiglio, Eddie Espinosa & Barbara Procopio, the group took shape. The troop was managed by dance wizard Don Denotalia. Don had an extensive movie and dance resume' and was able to book the troop all over the world. In between tours, they stayed active competing in contests. The traditional club contest would run for a number of weeks picking weekly winners. At the finals, all the couples would be invited back to compete head to head to determine the grand prize winner. After winning the finals at Metro 700, Nelly took a hiatus. She was pregnant. Twenty-nine years ago, Nelly Cotto learned to do the hustle, from her sister, while recuperating in the hospital at the age of 13. The year was 1974. Her precision and charm would earn her an allegiance of fans as she Wowed the country on the televised Merv Griffin Show. She was destined to become the premier hustle dancer of our time. Disco was not quite at its pinnacle in 1980 but Nellie Cotto would eclipse her dancing for six months. She gave birth to her daughter. For the previous two years, Nelly and Floyd Chishom danced on national TV, performed shows, created a dance troop and won some of the most prestigious contests. I made my living on Dance Contests explains Nelly. But there were hard feelings between Floyd Chishom and her. Together they had achieved so much but Floyd, the dance giant, was drifting away from dancing. 
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