NEW YORK — David Machicado has always loved to dance.
“I started dancing, just, at home when I was a little kid,” Machicado said. “I guess it was always a part of my life.”
But growing up in Lima, Peru in the 1990s, he didn’t see a ton of opportunities to pursue dance as a career. Instead, he went to college and started studying communications.
But dance was always in the back of his head, so at 19, when a friend suggested he try taking some classes, David found a nearby space and obliged.
“And from the moment I stepped in, I fell in love with it,” Machicado said.
For nearly a decade, David trained at this space in Peru — learning everything he could about movement and choreography and different styles of dance.
After perfecting his craft for many years, David got the opportunity to teach beginner classes.
He instantly fell in love. From there, David made a name for himself teaching, choreographing and even performing in competitions in Peru.
But then… something beautiful happened: He fell in love with a New Yorker.
And in 2017, after years of long distance, David left his home in Peru and moved to the Big Apple to be with his longtime partner.
“I came here and I was scared. I was happy to be with my partner finally, but professionally I was very intimidated because I was already 30 and I had no idea how long it was gonna take me to get back to the position that I was when I was in Lima,” he said.
After settling in to life in Astoria, David married his partner and looked to reignite his love of dance in the city that never sleeps.
So, he printed copies of his now extensive resume and walked to studios around the boroughs, spotlighting a decade’s worth of dance experience. It took time, but after many months, he finally got a call back, inviting him to teach a guest class.
“And that’s how I started teaching again here,” Machicado said. “I guess then I just got my spirit back, I felt a little more confident again, and I started to do it more and more.”
Now, David is bringing his talents to dance studios across New York City, teaching hip-hop, jazz funk, stiletto heels, and reggaeton rhythm to students who can’t seem to get enough. He’s also launching his own brand, D’Moves, where students can keep up with every move and course.
And at the end of the day, the message he leaves behind for devout NYC students is so much bigger than that of a traditional 8-count:
“If you want it, keep holding to it and make it happen. You can do anything you want, as long as you really want it,” Machicado said. “I know that I wanted to be a dancer. And I had no idea that I was able to until I actually put myself in there. And believe that youre gonna do it with more passion and more energy and it’s going to get easier.”
