¡Vamos a Bailar!

          Have you ever experienced the wonder of Latin American Fusion?  Well I did back in October and it was one of the most spectacular events I have ever had the opportunity to witness.  Back in September, Profesora Ramsey asked my class if any of us would like to go see Latin American Fusion at the Philander Smith College Pac M L Harris Auditorium.  She explained that it was a performance full of dancing and singing, portraying the Latin American cultures fused together.

          Before going to experience the festivities of the Hispanic flamenco Ballet, I was calling the choreographed performance flamingo dancing.  That should show you how much I knew about the Spanish dancing I was going to see.  All I could think was the women were going to be dressed in bright colors and large dresses with heeled tap shoes.  In my mind the men would dress in white, ruffled shirts with black slacks and velvet or suede jackets and polished black shoes or laced boots.  The women would have elaborately curled hair with the top half pinned up on the top of their heads, while the men’s hair would be slicked back with gel and a comb.  I figured there would have been a little mariachi quartet in the corner sporting sombreros and rattling maracas.  You can tell my preconceived view of the Hispanic dance attire was generic and close-minded.  When it came to the dancing itself, I figured there would be the typical salsa, tango, and flamenco dances and that was about it.  

           To my surprise, and probably to the surprise of many other students, many of the dances the Hispanic flamenco Ballet performed were dances I had never heard of from various countries.  Aside from well known Latin American dances such as the Argentinian Tango and the upbeat and lively Malambo, the Peruvian Marinera and the Chilean Cueca were also demonstrated with enthusiasm and energy.  All of the dances were interwoven with the use of Bombos (drums) and Boloadores, weapons used by gauchos of Argentina during performances.  All of these dances formed the show Latin American Fusion. 

Each dance emerged from a Latin American country either in North or South America, or Europe.  Aside from the dancing, their appearances surprised me.  The women had their hair pulled into tight buns on their heads and wore different costumes depending on the dance being carried out.  During one dance, the women were decked in feather head-dresses and little tasseled outfits.  The men also changed from gauchos to pants, and even ponchos.  And the mariachi band in the corner that I had imagined was actually a band of three that came on stage between dances to sing and interact with the audience while the dancers changed for the next dance.

          After the performance, I sat down and interviewed my friend Nikki Haak, a junior at Lake Hamilton, about her experience.  When I asked what her favorite part of the performance was, she replied, “When they pulled people from the audience to dance on stage.  It was funny because the people from the audience had no idea what they were doing and looked goofy attempting to dance beside the experienced dancers.”  I also asked her if she would go again and she answered very enthusiastically, “Heck yeah! If I ever got another chance.” 

          So, I encourage you if you ever get the chance to see the cultural sensation, Latin American Fusion, to do so without a second thought.  By going to this event, it enabled me to have a better understanding of the dances performed and the music played in Latin American countries and so could you.

By: Taylor Duke