Senior Connie Moondragon (center) dances for the first time as a captain alongside the other members of Corazón Latino during the homecoming rally.
New dance team brings Latino culture to students
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Aiming to bring more diversity to the school’s medley of performance groups, Corazón Latino, a new dance team, showcased their routine for the first time during the homecoming rally.
Practicing for only three days, the members felt nervous for their first rally in front of a large audience. However, they delivered a performance that garnered praise.
“[My favorite part was] when they stopped, and it felt like there was going to be a beat drop, [but] then they just continued dancing,” freshman Pamela Tse said.
Spanish teachers Eliana Deniz and Melissa Rodriguez created and are advising Corazón Latino. They anticipated that the introduction of a dance team based on Latino music and dance styles will provide another branch of cultural diversity to the school.
“We only [hear] hip hop or English music [in rallies],” senior Connie Moondragon, a captain, said. “We never [hear] Hispanic music. We never [hear], let’s say Farruko, Nicky Jam, or Romero Santos. [We want to bring] some latino pop culture [to future rallies and shows].”
By exposing students to other genres of music that do not usually make an appearance in pep rallies, the team wishes to inspire other Latinos to find their voice and for every student to connect with the Latino heritage, regardless of their ethnic background.
“[Corazon Latino] really helps show other people the Hispanic culture,” sophomore Alondra Milian, a captain, said. “I definitely feel like it helps us Latinos embrace our culture a lot more. Sometimes, we [forget] about where we come from, but this group brings it all back.”
Many students may compare Corazón Latino with the other performance groups, but sophomore Roger Lugo, a member, believes that they are different in various ways.
“[Corazón Latino incorporates] guys and girls,” Lugo said. “Most of the teams here are [mainly] focused on one gender. The [team] wanted to do something that was open to every gender so that anyone can join.”
To receive additional information about the dance team or future tryouts, anyone, regardless of dance experience, can contact a captain or an adviser. Students who are interested should go to P-207 to talk to Deniz or to P-209 to talk to Rodriguez.
“[If you join], you get to meet new people and make new friends,” Lugo said. “A lot of the choreography is going to be hard, but as long as you practice, you’re going to learn it really [quickly].”
