As the melodic sounds of upbeat salsa music filled the air, and the vibrant colors of traditional costumes mesmerized the audience, the River of Grass auditorium became a diverse hub of different Hispanic cultures on Tuesday, October 17, for Charter’s Hispanic Heritage Month Showcase.
The program took the audience on a trip through many different Hispanic countries, including Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Venezuela. The show featured countless dances from these countries, as well as some musical numbers.
The show opened with a brief introduction to Hispanic culture and the importance of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Shortly after, Senior Jessica Lipman took to the stage, as she clapped her fan and twirled her traditional dress during her solo flamenco performance. Flamenco is a traditional Hispanic dance style that originated in southern Spain, and it is characterized by intricate hand, arm, and body movements.
Sophomore Isabella Milian recalls that she was “in awe” of Lipman’s performance. “That was definitely my favorite part… of the show, and I really liked her serious facial [expressions], because it just made the whole dance so passionate,” she added.
This solo performance was accompanied by numerous other group dances, many of which were performed by Ms. Gil’s dance classes. These performances featured many different Hispanic dance styles, such as bachata, salsa, cumbia, zumba, and numerous others.
Ms. Gil expressed her satisfaction with how the showcase turned out, especially after months of coordinating the performances. “It was definitely a lot of work trying to put everything together, especially because I have a lot of students, but they were so cooperative and they really did an amazing job,” she commented.
Many students in attendance also conveyed their admiration for the Puerto Rico and Cuba number, performed by Ms. Gil’s second-period class. The audience watched intently as students salsa-danced across the stage. Salsa first emerged in Cuba, and it has since been enriched with Puerto Rican influences. Today, it is one of the most popular Latin dances that is enjoyed worldwide, which makes it no surprise that this performance was many students’ favorite.
“I really liked the salsa dance, especially their individual little dances that they did during the performance,” said senior Jayden Moxie.
Additionally, sophomore Julia Elena shared that what she liked most about the salsa performance was how the choreography looked well thought-out and how “you could tell that they put in a lot of effort to make it look good.”
Along with Ms. Gil’s dance classes, the Latin Dance Team and Dance Team also performed. The dance team executed a hip-hop style dance to the song “Que Calor” by Major Lazer and J Balvin.
Kaitlyn Oromas, a sophomore on the dance team, explained that preparing for the performance was “stressful at times.” However, she was extremely happy with the outcome of her and the team’s hard work.
There were also many musical numbers that left the audience in complete awe. A few members of the band recreated the song “Oye Como Va” by Carlos Santana with the trombone, bass guitar, piano. Shortly after, Sebi Reyes took to the stage and performed a solo cover of “Everything I Know” from the musical In the Heights.
Finally, the lights flickered on as all of the performers who graced the stage during the night lined up against the walls of the auditorium for the showcase’s grand finale. The audience cheered and clapped as the performers waved the flags of many different Hispanic countries.
“I think everyone in the show did really well, and the production of the show was also really well done. I think they should keep doing these shows next year too,” stated senior Claire-Anna Lauriston.
This showcase will be remembered by both students and parents as a night that many different cultures came together to celebrate a month of inclusivity, diversity, and recognizing Hispanic heritage.
