On broadway: the beat is back: Mambo Kings puts a dictionary of Latin rhythms on Broadway.

Back in the '50s, when it seemed half the pop tunes on the radio had "cha-cha-cha" in the chores, choreographers knew Latin dancing was de rigueur in shows--a conga in Wonderful Town, a cha-cha for Bells Are Ringing, a mambo for Damn Yankees. But none of these shows evinced any interest in the cultures behind the hip-jiggling dances so irresistible to the public. Yes, West Side Story earned its Latin numbers the hard way, with real Puerto Rican characters. An occasional Hispanic might turn up--Chita Rivera's Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, say--to add some salsa. But by and large, such numbers were created and danced by gringos. When rock 'n' roll took over the airwaves, Broadway's Latin beat all but disappeared.

But a couple of months ago, in a Times Square studio, congas were pounding out Afro-Cuban rhythms, dancers in high heels were twirling to fast-paced mambos, and just about everyone in sight was a shade of brown. It was a sneak peek at The Mambo Kings, choreographed by Sergio Trujillo.

Mambo Kings is about two Cuban brothers who come to Manhattan to break into the Latin club scene--the one inspiring those Broadway songwriters to add cha-chas. For Trujillo, it's a chance to put not just mambos, but a whole dictionary of Latin moves on the stage: Afro-Cuban, bolero, hybrid tango, merengue, rumba, samba, salsa.

In bringing this vocabulary back to Broadway, Trujillo, 40, is aware of his responsibility: "I've tried to stay committed to the story and the culture, and do it justice by having Latin dancers," he says. But he didn't find them in Latin ballrooms. Having worked with professional salsa dancers, he says, he knew "they weren't going to be able to give me the layers I needed. I have guys doing double tours. And when the number is over, they have to become the people in the club."

The story of the Castillo brothers originated in The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, Oscar Hijuelos' Pulitzer Prize-winning 1989 novel. In 1992, Arne Glimcher turned it into a film starring Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas.

Back then, Trujillo was a show dancer, picking up choreography work when he could. Born in Colombia, he had come with his family to Toronto at the age of 12. At 21, aiming at a career as a chiropractor, he "took a sabbatical" to dance in Jerome Robbins' Broadway, and "the rest," he says with a laugh, "is history."

But it's not the kind of "history" that just happens. After his choreographic debut, a Canadian production of West Side Story, he sought out producers, sent his resume, and asked for meetings. "You can't wait for them to find you," he says. "You've got to find them." He was also actively looking for new projects, and five years ago, he says, he pounced on Mambo Kings. "I was doing research on who had the rights; I hired a lawyer," he says. Trujillo tracked the musical rights to Glimcher, and met him through producer Jordan Roth. Now, they're all in it together: Glimcher as lyricist, co-writer (with Hijuelos) and director; Roth and his mother, Daryl Roth, as producers. The music is by Carlos Franzetti, who scored the movie. After an out-of-town run in San Francisco, Mambo Kings is scheduled to begin performances at the Broadway Theater on July 20.

For Trujillo, it will be his first standalone choreography credit on Broadway. But even as he was rehearsing Mambo Kings, dancers nearby at the Palace were doing his infectious strolls and lindys in the Elvis Presley musical All Shook Up, for which he provided "additional dances." And lest anyone think all he can do is the '50s--his big London credit is Peggy Sue Got Married--in November, his take on the '60s arrives in Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Last year, only a handful of people on Broadway knew his name. When 2005 ends, Trujillo could have three Broadway hits--not bad for someone on sabbatical from chiropractic school.

Sylviane Gold has written about theater for Newsday and The New York Times.