Celebrating Hispanic/Latinx/Latiné Heritage with Dance

In celebration of Hispanic/Latinx/Latiné Heritage Month, PC welcomed Los Bomberos De La Calle, a musical group that performs traditional and contemporary styles of bomba and plena music from Puerto Rico. On Sept. 23, students in all three divisions learned from and danced with the musicians, who are based in Philadelphia.

"Our goal was to shine a light on a specific culture within the vibrant tapestry of the Hispanic/Latinx/Latiné heritage," said Ashley Augustin, PC's director of diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging. "And we sought to illustrate the power of dance as a means of storytelling and self-expression."

Tony Mendez, who leads the group, gave students background on the music, the differences between bomba and plena, which are both part of Puerto Rican culture, and how bomba originated as a form of communication and empowerment for enslaved Africans and native Taíno people during European colonization.

Students were invited to learn the dance on stage in the Ball Theater, some of them trying on faldas, or skirts, that are part of the traditional dance.

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Celebrating Hispanic/Latinx/Latiné Heritage with Dance

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