RODNEY ERIC LOPEZ
mad hot
THE LANGUAGE OF SHAME IS OPTIONAL.
THE LANGUAGE OF DANCE IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT.
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Rodney Eric López grew up a second-generation Puerto Rican in the Bronx, and the Spanish language was not a gift—it was a source of deep, lifelong shame. His parents, products of the Great Migration, spoke English to protect him, but this protection left him feeling like an outsider-ni de alli ni de aca (neither from there nor from here).
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He became one of the "No Sabo" kids, convinced he was "not enough." But that personal failure was actually a structural outcome of American assimilation.
In this powerful social memoir, López chronicles his journey from the isolation of language shame to finding his voice as a professional Salsa dancer and teacher. He interweaves his story with linguistics and cultural analysis to reveal that true belonging is not about grammar; it is about embodiment.
Salsa became the non-verbal conversation that unlocked a joyful, powerful connection to his Afro Latinidad. I Don't Speak Spanish, But I Understand Everything When I'm Dancing! is a declaration that your culture is yours, and that the only language you need to speak is the language of resilient joy.
THIS BOOK IS FOR:
FIRST & SECOND GENERATION IMMIGRANTS
BICULTURAL INDIVIDUALS NAVIGATING LANGUAGE GAPS
PARENTS & CAREGIVERS DESIRING TO PASS THE GIFT OF LANGUAGE TO THEIR CHILDREN
FOREIGN LANGUAGE & GLOBAL STUDIES EDUCATORS
ANYONE EXPLORING WHAT
IT MEANS TO BELONG
WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH:
Language For Experiences You Have Lived But Never Quite Named
A Renewed Connection To Culture & Identity, Beyond Fluency
A Release From Language Shame
A Deeper Appreciation For Dance As A Universal Human Language
ABOUT RODNEY ERIC LÓPEZ
​Rodney Eric López is a dynamic leader and educator with over 25 years of experience at the intersection of arts, communications, and nonprofit management. A Bronx native of Puerto Rican descent, Rodney has navigated high-level roles-from corporate communications at BSMG Worldwide to serving as Executive Director of Dancing Classrooms.
An NYU graduate and Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar, Rodney also holds a certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship from Columbia Business School. He gained international recognition as a featured teaching artist in the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom and served as Director of the Latin Dance Program at Dance Manhattan for 16 years.
As CEO of REL Enterprises, Rodney is a sought-after speaker and consultant. Through this memoir, he blends his professional expertise with his journey as a Salsa dancer to show how identity is reclaimed through movement and resilient joy.
I loved your detailed book and getting to know the real ‘you’ even more. Just like you – I too had to find myself, having arrived in the UK as a teenager and speaking English with a foreign accent. I was in Cape Town, South Africa in my early 20s and met someone who wanted to know all about me. After telling her I used to be very shy and was made fun of at school because of my ‘funny’ foreign accent, she told me to “KEEP ON DANCING.” I did just that and will never forget her advice. I too learned “I am enough.” Many people will feel comfort knowing they are not alone. Thank you for telling your story and how dance affected you in such a positive way, as it did mine.
– Pierre Dulaine, Founder, Dancing Classrooms
RODNEY'S BEEN FEATURED IN
I loved your detailed book and getting to know the real ‘you’ even more. Just like you – I too had to find myself, having arrived in the UK as a teenager and speaking English with a foreign accent. I was in Cape Town, South Africa in my early 20s and met someone who wanted to know all about me. After telling her I used to be very shy and was made fun of at school because of my ‘funny’ foreign accent, she told me to “KEEP ON DANCING.” I did just that and will never forget her advice. I too learned “I am enough.” Many people will feel comfort knowing they are not alone. Thank you for telling your story and how dance affected you in such a positive way, as it did mine.
– Pierre Dulaine, Founder, Dancing Classrooms
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