Spicy salsa moves heat up Raices Dance Troupe performance
Trumpets blared, and drums beat to keep with the rhythm. Three couples in elegant clothing danced in unison across the stage to salsa music as Latin America came to Syracuse Friday night.
Women in flowing black dresses coupled with men in white collared shirts and black pants swayed to the smooth, energetic melodies of the salsa music. The men twirled the women, making their dresses billow in the air before the women fell gracefully into the arms of their partner.
These spicy dance moves highlighted the Raices Dance Troupe performance, which also featured poetry readings, modern dance moves and a selection of Spanish food that lined Goldstein Auditorium. The show, entitled ‘Design of a Decade,’ celebrated Raices’ 10th anniversary on campus.
Michael Rosero co-founded Raices as a Syracuse University student in 1998 in response to the growing Latino culture on campus. Rosero returned to host the 10-year anniversary eliciting screams and laughter while he was onstage, while reminiscing about his time at SU.
‘We told him we were having a show, and he asked if we would be okay with him hosting,’ said Joselyn Tejeda, a senior co-chair of Raices. ‘We said that would be great as a commemoration for the 10 years. We still have that connection with our founders. He was so proud of the fact that 10 years later, his troupe, his creation, his vision, is still alive here.’
The traditional Latino food of rice, beans, chicken and flan served before the show prepared the audience for the performance. At one point, the English and Spanish chatter from the crowd turned to cheers and screams of pride when Rosero called out to different Latino countries from Chile to Colombia to the Dominican Republican.
Several fraternities and sororities were present including Lambda Upsilon Lambda, of which Rosero is a brother, and Sigma Lambda Upsilon, which helped Raices with the event.
Jenn Carmona, a senior magazine journalism and Spanish major, was a member of Raices for two years. She came in support of the group because she says they are like family for her.
‘(When) you’re away from home, you miss your family,’ Carmona said. ‘And when you’re with your family, you’re doing all (the Raices) dances and listening to this type of music. For me, it was a way to be with my family (while being) away from my family.’
In addition to traditional salsa, merengue and bachata – a type of dance originating from rural Dominican Republic – Raices members choreographed dances to hip hop songs by artists like Beyonce and Danity Kane.
‘(Dance) is a big part of our lives and a big part of culture,’ said Tejeda. ‘Generally, it’s a vibrant culture, and it’s important to feel the music and always be dancing.’
Tejeda and her co-chair Madelyn Garcia also included poetry readings in the show to make a connection with past Raices shows. One of the more poignant pieces of the night was a dramatic poetry reading from senior Lorraine Tristan, the editor of La Voz, a publication for La L.U.C.H.A., the Latin American Undergraduates Creating History in America.
Tristan’s piece expressed her Latin American pride through her poetry.
‘I don’t let Latina identify me, I identify it,’ she said in her poem. ‘I am a Spanish girl with indigenous roots of Mexican decent. I am second generation American, first generation college student that’s bound for success, who are you?’
While the show had many elements of Latino pride and culture, the group’s performance appealed to non-Latinos as well. Tom and Cynthia Kazior, parents of an incoming freshman, decided to attend the show to get a feel for the culture at Syracuse.
‘It’s the fact that a group that started 10 years ago and has gotten bigger,’ Cynthia Kazior said. ‘It’s supporting this culture, it’s supporting this mission; I think that’s wonderful.’
