Building Community and Culture Through Dance

FOR MELINDA CHENG, music and dance have always sparked joy and provided an outlet to distract from reality.

This was true when she was 11, and her family fell on hard times after her father suffered a catastrophic stroke that left him disabled. Cheng found herself drawn to Latin music, particularly that of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, even forming a fan club for the group to keep herself busy and focused on something positive despite her life being upended.

And as an adult, with a prosperous career as a marketing and advertising executive, she reconnected with her love of Latin music and movement at an extraordinarily popular LA Fitness class taught by dancer and choreographer Andrew Hickman. There, everyday stressors melted away, and happiness prevailed.

It was a feeling Cheng wanted to share with others. She knew Hickman had something special, and she wanted to help him capitalize on his talents while spreading positivity.

Now, thanks to an unexpected career shift, she does so through her business, LHM Ventures, created as part of an all-in-one solution to help instructors who want to focus on their art rather than running a business. Hickman’s Latin Heat Moves is the flagship class for what Cheng hopes will grow to be a thriving, inspiring community.

“Andrew’s class to me isn’t just exercise; I wouldn’t do it if it felt like exercise,” Cheng says with a laugh. “It’s a spirit boost, both mentally and emotionally—an hour in my day where I feel alive and happy. And it’s truly a privilege to help others feel the same. Lifting others up is what motivates me.”

MAKING MOVES

Cheng spent more than 20 years in corporate marketing, most recently at Google, until 2024, when layoffs forced her to decide whether to be part of the tech giant’s reorganization or take a severance.

She decided it was time for a break and the possibility to focus on other passions. She reconnected with a friend with whom she attended Hickman’s class at LA Fitness.

Members would show up early to get a coveted spot in the class, called Latin Heat; it was number one in the state at one point and gained some national traction; Hickman even got a call from LA Fitness’s CEO congratulating him and received a small raise to retain him.

Cheng says she and her friend always encouraged him to go out on his own and create a brand for himself. “But he’s an artist,” she says. “He wants to focus on dancing, his craft.” With some newfound free time, Cheng decided to approach Hickman about teaming up: She would invest her time and money to build a community and culture around Hickman’s class so he could put all his energy toward teaching and choreography.

“It was really a desire to give him the platform he deserves and show the world something I love,” Cheng says. “In short, I’m the brains behind the business, and he’s the brains behind the class. Together, we are the heart of Latin Heat Moves—the perfect pair, because we can each focus on our superpowers and have fun while we’re at it. He can show up, teach, and go home. I manage all aspects beyond that.”

Hickman hails from an extensive background in Latin dance instruction and choreography in both Latin and ballroom styles. But dancing wasn’t always his passion.

Though he grew up learning salsa, merengue, and other Spanish rhythms from his Puerto Rican and Cuban mother, he actually hated dancing in public.

“I was that kid at parties sitting at the end of the couch with a bowl of chips on my lap while everyone was dancing around me, and I had no problem with that!” Hickman says.

A last-minute request to step in as a substitute dancer at his sister’s best friend’s Sweet 16 party changed things. Hickman says it worked out well, and the positive reaction he received boosted his confidence.

He would go on to practice ballroom dance as a hobby in college, then later teach it. He discovered Zumba, a Latin-inspired cardio fitness program, when it was just gaining popularity around 2009. The following year, he began a decade of instructing Latin Heat at LA Fitness, before COVID closed gyms and fitness centers. He reconnected with Cheng in 2021 as he made his way back to teaching.

“I never was a businessperson; I love to dance, I love to teach classes. The more the merrier,” Hickman says. “It’s high energy, great exercise, and most importantly, fun. It’s been great relying on Melinda to handle the business side.”

Hickman says the best part is the autonomy LHM Ventures provides him and Cheng. They’re able to create the classes and events they want, and a large part of that is introducing different cultures to attendees. Latin Heat Moves goes beyond celebrating just Spanish and Portuguese styles of music and dance.

A SPACE FOR ALL

Cheng says the inclusion of music from countries such as Poland, Japan, China, and Lebanon is intentional, as she wishes to celebrate people from all backgrounds and promote inclusivity. Cheng’s parents are immigrants from China, and she says growing up in Bergen County without much diversity, it’s important to her to bring people together to highlight different cultures, harkening back to her Menudo-obsessed days.

“Here I was, this 11-year-old Chinese-looking, English-speaking girl listening to Spanish music while attending Catholic school—a little Asian girl with a Latin obsession. That’s where my love for culture all started,” she says.

Latin Heat is currently testing new studios in Fair Lawn, Lyndhurst, and Fairfield. Cheng hopes to land a designated studio soon. It has also been a featured activity at fundraisers, corporate gigs, senior centers, and festivals, with a recent “after dark” Dancegiving event at Sycamore Community Church in Ho-Ho-Kus to benefit the Center for Food Action. Over $1,200 was raised.

Organizer Christina Lontos says she met Cheng at a Latin Heat Moves class and was immediately hooked: “I was relieved to find a local class that celebrates movement, has amazing music, and is very uplifting,” Lontos says. “I thought it was a great, community-based, positive thing.”

She and fellow Dancegiving organizer Keshini MacLaren thought the class would be a fun way to fundraise in the borough. Some 50 attendees danced along with Hickman and enjoyed the offerings of other local vendors, more than doubling their fundraising goal.

Lontos says Latin Heat Moves is a class for all who love to dance.

“Andrew is a very talented dancer; he’s inspirational and able to motivate us as regular, very average dancers in a way that enables us to keep up with his moves,” she says. It’s all positive vibes, and the perfect balance of celebrating music and proper dance techniques.”

BY SARAH NOLAN