Dominic Lucero was born August 28, 1967, in Orange County, California. When he was a kid, he was always singing and dancing to the radio. When schooling began for Dominic, he participated in drama classes that lasted even into high school. Once he hit his teenaged years, he attended La Quinta High School, and his parents adopted two girls: DeEtte and Monique. Both Dominic and older brother John Jr. insisted on watching their two new sisters themselves! During Dom’s sohpmore year, he auditioned and was accepted into Concert Choir, which travelled and participated in competitions, some of which his choir won! And during high school, he and other classmates made a dancing appearance on American Bandstand. Also throughout high school, he was voted as “most talented,” and was a homecoming prince while John Jr. was king!

After high school, Dom decided to try his luck in getting noticed and looked at as many opportunities as he could to be noticed. He began in a commercial for Sprite, as a dancer outside of a movie theater. He also appeared in three stage productions: A Chorus Line (as Mike), The Pajama Game (as Joe), and Grease (as Lil’ Louie). However, he was in need of more experience, but had the potential for becoming an incredible dancer. He took some lessons before trying his luck at being a dancer on Michael Jackson's "Bad" tour. Despite the auditions being continually postponed and Dominic suffering from an injured ankle, he was called a half hour after he returned home, being told that he had made the dancing team. He took lessons from the King of Pop, and began to tour as both a dancer and a backup singer. He also performed with him at several live events, including the 1989 Grammy Awards.

When he was 19, he appeared in a movie. He appeared in Stand and Deliver, the Jaime Escalante story. He played one of the 18 Ganas Kids and was one of the nameless kids (those darn producers! They should’ve given him a name and a bigger part!). He also danced in a few movies, including La Bamba, The Mambo Kings and Mac and Me. Originally, Dominic was cast as Ritchie Valens in La Bamba, but the role was given to Lou Diamond Phillips because of his exposure to Hollywood. He was also supposed to take a role of a dancer in the movie Salsa, but ended up getting sick and had to drop out.

Afterward, he began working for Paula Abdul as her assistant choreographer and even appeared in her "Cold Hearted" music video. He also appeared in Paula Abdul’s "Straight Up!" video, found in record stores such as Tower Records and Virgin Megastore. He continued working with Paula for at least a year and a half as a dancer, choreographer, and making TV appearances with her. Together they choreographed (and he danced in) the Tracey Ullman Show, Arsenio Hall Show and the American Music Awards, as well as other shows. Their excellent job with the Music Awards won them both Emmys (way to go!) in 1989, when he was 21. They also choreographed the film, The Doors, but Paula took the credit for their work and Dominic was unlisted in the credits.

While working with Paula, Dominic made a few TV appearances, including appearances on the MTV Awards, the American Music Awards, the Arsenio Hall Show, Friday Night Videos with Ahmad Rashad, and PM Magazine. While appearing on Friday Night Videos, Paula introduced Dominic to the audience and said with a smirk, "this is Dominic. He worked with Michael Jackson on the ‘Bad’ tour, then I stole him." Afterward, he began choreographing for the Japanese/Latino artist Naomi, and appeared in one of her music videos. Besides her video, he appeared in music videos for other artists such as Gloria Estefan, Phil Collins, Marcia Griffins, Brenda Russel and Shawn Christopher.

Dominic then when back to choreographing with Michael Jackson on his "Dangerous" tour with Kenny Ortega. Kenny wanted to do a movie, and he asked Dominic to be in it. Dominic accepted. He landed the part of Bumlets in the 1992 movie, Newsies, which Kenny directed. He was also featured in the two "Making of Newsies" specials and was mostly known as being "the newsie that spun around on the fan." He also sang on the soundtrack. Although it was a wonderful movie, it made almost no money and bombed in the theaters.

Before and following Newsies, Dom appeared on a Lou Rawls telethon, and was contacted by choreographer Hinton Battle who set him up with a dance group called "New World." Also included in New World was fellow Newsies castmember Kevin Stea, Bryant Baldwin and another guy named Raj (his last name is unknown), all of whom had appeared on the telethon. They made an appearance on Star Search and won at almost every opportunity, and made $100,000! New World had also begun writing songs and eventually signed a recording contract with Capital records. They recorded seven songs and made a music video for a song titled "Get it Up." However, at that time, Dominic was approached by Virgin Records to begin a solo career. But he declined because he wouldn't leave the group.

When New World disbanded, Dominic and three other actors from Newsies: Ivan Dudynsky, Mark David and David Sidoni, became involved in a cable TV show called Roundhouse, aired on Nickelodeon. Also in the cast of Roundhouse was Crystal Lewis, one of my favorite singers. He became very close with the cast and considered them to be his second family. He played the son a few times and was one of the main dancers, but his most notable character was playing Dylan Mark Chadley in the "Abusement Park" episode. He also danced at Nickelodeon’s 6th Annual Kid’s Choice Awards and Disney’s American Teacher’s Awards.

After wrapping up the first season of Roundhouse, he left the show before the second season began but was left on the credits, probably in hope that he’d return for the next season (but that’s the thoughts from my warped mind). During this time, Dominic went back to dancing with Michael Jackson. In October of 1993, he began suffering from odd breathing problems and went to have it checked. It was discovered that he had lymphatic cancer, and it was terminal. Dominic was forced to leave the tour and the show because of his illness, and moved back with the rest of his family. But he watched the show at home and was kept on the credits.

He was able to appear in three episodes of the third season (Prejudice, Lying and Practical Jokes); one of which he was in the audience (Prejudice). But he wasn’t unnoticed, for Ivan and Seymour Willis Green, another cast member, went into the audience to see him and pointed him out to the cameraman! But his illness was clearly visible, and audiences could tell that something was wrong with him.

Fans continued to watch him throughout the show, wondering where he was. His appearances in the third season brought their hopes up, but his disappearance brought disappointment. The show’s ratings dropped, and it had to be cancelled during its fourth season run. In the Live episode (Mistakes), Ivan said hi to him, which was adlibbed.

I believe that Dominic hoped to see the series finale, but he was unable to, for on July 1, 1994, his cancer got to him and he died in California, when he was 26. He was buried the following Sunday, and Crystal Lewis sang Amazing Grace, one of his favorite songs, at his funeral at his request, and everyone who was ever on the cast of Roundhouse appeared at his funeral.

On July 9, Ivan, Mark and David attended a soccer game in LA that was a fundraiser for cancer and AIDS research. Julene Renee, another cast member of Roundhouse, had a baby a few days later and named her Zoë Dominique, most likely after Dominic. The final episode aired November 13, and it was dedicated to him, though it was not mentioned that he had been ill in his respect. The world has certainly lost a very talented person, and he is greatly missed.

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