Review By Maria Caballero
On Toni & Carlos Mendoza and The Side Street Kids

Toni & Carlos Mendoza are the founders and director of the Side Street Dance Studio Academy in the Bronx, New York. The school's motto is "More than dance... ".

Their students are the Side Street Kids. They have performed at Side Street Dance Club and Roberto Clementine Park and several street festivals. They also participated at the 5th Avenue Puerto Rican day Parade for the last two years.

The students, ranging from 5 to 17 years of age, are taught early on to respect and to encourage one another. Each class usually start with some kind of rap session. The rap sessions are geared more toward the teens. These sessions help them ease into comfortable situations with their peers. Toni & Carlos even arranged to have someone come in and to speak to them about AIDS and HIV.

Students are required to bring in their report cards and any other certificate of accomplishments. Carlos knows the importance of a good education being a school teacher himself. Toni would one day like to be able to award college scholarships to the Side Street Kids. Toni is constantly encouraging the students to smile, to hold their head up high, giving them hugs or just patting them in the back when they feel disappointed or discouraged. And Carlos, well he does not stay behind.
His wit and playful ways keep the students comfortable at all times. He reaches them at their own individual levels. My teen, who was born with a mild case of cerebral palsy, manages to stay to the back of the class. She sometimes felt she was not good enough to keep up with the others.
Toni's love, constant word of encouragement's and patience gave my daughter the confidence needed to continue her classes.

As an incentive, the Side Street Dance Studio Academy awards students with scholarships on the day of the recitals for the next semester. In order to qualify for the scholarship, the students must have passing grades, be helpful to others, ambitious, and enjoy dancing. My 7 year old was one of many students to receive that award in the 1997 recital. Boy, was I a proud mom. On June 27, 1998, their annual recital was held. My 16 year old came home with a award for her participation in her
cha-cha class. My youngest, who did win the award, came home with the determination that she was going to get certificates of accomplishments in school and get A's on her report card. She plans to get herself a scholarship in 1999 from Toni & Carlos. And all this because SIDE STREET KIDS is more than dance....

I will be forever grateful to people like Toni & Carlos, and David Melendez from the Starlight Dance Studio. They have found a positive way to keep children off the streets. They have been leading the children safely through a world of magic and beauty through the art of music and dancing. And not just any music, salsa and back to their culture.