The Latin Student Association (LSA) partnered with the Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CID) to host a salsa night in The Perch Oct. 11.
Chelsea Flores ’24, co-president of LSA, said the organization wanted to have more opportunities to celebrate Latino culture.
Flores said they were able to start planning the event after Kristin Santiago, MBA ’24, human resources operations specialist at St. Joe’s, reached out to LSA and offered to teach a salsa class.
“We were like, ‘let’s do a big event during Hispanic Heritage Month’,” Flores said. “We wanted to bring Hispanic food and bring people together.”
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually in the United States from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the theme for this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month is, “Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power and Progress in America.” Nationally, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated with art and food festivals, parades, concerts and workshops.
Salsa is said to have been a symbol for ethnic identity since the 1960s and 1970s. Santiago, a salsa dance instructor at Take the Lead Dance Studio in Hockessin, Delaware, said she appreciates the unity that salsa demands, finding it was what she was missing after doing competitive international ballroom dancing for six years.
“I chose salsa and bachata because of the social and community aspect,” Santiago said.
Santiago said salsa steps are fairly easy, as it is a style of movement requiring taking one step backward, then forward and then coming together.
“The way you want to communicate feeling,” Santiago said, “you move your body that way.”
Santiago added body fluidity is important because salsa is a passionate conversation between dancers.
Imani Briscoe ’17, LSA adviser and program specialist for inclusion and diversity experiential programming, said events like this give members of the community an opportunity to see themselves reflected and create a space where participants can learn about Latin American culture.
“It bridges the gap between cultures while celebrating the differences,” Briscoe said.
Ifza Imran ’26, who participated in the dance class, said she attended for the food and to have fun dancing.
“I found salsa dancing fun and now I have a new experience to take with me wherever I go,” Imran said.