By Kristin Ellertson
The Daily Northwestern
As SESP freshman Michelle Jacobs twirled on the dance floor, her movements were seamless, and her silky black-and-white shirt twisted and turned along with her.
“People see me dancing and assume I’m Latina when I’m not,” she said. “It’s flattering – I don’t even speak Spanish.”
Jacobs was one of more than 300 people to take in Latin American music during Thursday’s Festival LatiNU in the Louis Room at Norris University Center. This year’s theme, “A Mosaic of Cultural Dances: From the Past to the Present,” featured dancing styles from across the world. The Office of Hispanic/Latino Student Affairs and Alianza, Northwestern’s Hispanic/Latino Student Alliance, co-sponsored the event.
Alianza President Sarah Butler said the theme of the evening was connecting different types of dance throughout history.
“Our culture shows how the Latino dances persist with time,” the Weinberg senior said. “The Latino culture is very diverse and has different traditions, and we like to show that.”
Performers at the annual festival wore cultural costumes, which included gold bikinis, sequined red skirts and oversized feather headpieces. The night was the start of NU’s monthlong celebration of Hispanic culture. Dance troupes performed a wide variety of dances from many cultures, including Afro-Cuban hip hop, salsa and tribal-style dances that used tambourines and drums.
At the end of the event, about 40 members of the audience joined the Passistas Samba Dance Group on the floor to learn how to play the maracas and how to dance the samba.
During the instruction, participants took turns showing off their dance skills.
“I really loved what the samba group did because this year we wanted to make it more interactive,” Butler said.
Guests also enjoyed Puerto Rican, Mexican and Peruvian foods, such as plantains, stuffed avocado and custard flan.
According to the event’s organizers, Communication junior Jessica Lozada was the only NU student who performed at the festival; she is a member of the Los Soneros del Swing Latin Dance Company. Lozada said her group has performed at the event for three years and that she also joined two new groups performing for the first time this year.
“I knew the school would want to bring a variety of groups every year,” she said. “This event is geared toward students who want to learn more about the Latino community or anyone who would like to be involved with Alianza or Hispanic/Latino affairs, especially freshmen.”
Weinberg sophomore Ivette De Moya, co-vice president of Alianza, said the night was an opportunity for Latino students to support one another and share an NU tradition.
“I’m just hoping a lot of different people from different backgrounds, experiences and places appreciate Hispanic culture,” she said.
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