Keeping with the name of this year’s spring show, Dale Duro Latin Dance Company’s “Mensajes de Amor” centered on all types of love — both among people and for Latin American culture.
The show took place May 2 and 3 and boasted an array of performances from different countries and genres, including salsa, bachata and reggaetón.
As a kid, Weinberg sophomore Nickolas Valdez said he showed love for his culture through his dynamic Latin dance resume. While he didn’t pick up salsa until his senior year of high school, he said he’s now grateful to pass along the Caribbean dance as Dale Duro’s choreographer.
“One part that’s really rewarding for me is (that) not a lot of people know how to dance salsa, especially people at our age,” Valdez said. “It was nice teaching people that never danced it before how to dance.”
Weinberg senior and Dale Duro co-President Diego Portillo first found out about the group from their freshman year roommate.
They said they always enjoy the busy tech week leading up to the shows because of the time spent practicing with other cast members, painting The Rock and promoting the show.
This year’s tech week was no different, with the anticipation of the weekend’s show hanging in the background, Portillo said.
“The energy of the shows is always so euphoric,” Portillo said. “You’re running on adrenaline and having fun and helping people have a good time.”
One new addition Portillo said they took pride in was the inclusion of bomba as part of Dale Duro’s repertoire this year. The dance hails from historically Black Puerto Rican towns like Loíza.
Saturday’s show featured guest performances from NU’s Latin Music Ensemble, including the bomba. Weinberg sophomore and LME co-founder Lolo Fiol said the high turnout at Dale Duro performances gives the group a chance to flex their musical muscles for larger crowds.
As a Puerto Rican, Fiol said they are proud to spotlight a dance that has been “swept under the rug.”
“To be able to bring it to a stage in front of, like, so many people who probably have never even heard of it before, is something that was really cool and very special about this opportunity,” Fiol said.
Beyond cultural pride, the performers of “Mensajes de Amor” were proud to pay tribute to Assistant Director Britney Perez, who died in a traffic accident in February.
While SESP sophomore Valentina Parra isn’t a Dale Duro dancer, she emceed the show Saturday to honor Perez. She invited the crowd to join in the wave to channel “a little bit of Britney.”
“If some of you didn’t get the absolute honor of knowing Britney, this girl was loud, the life of the party,” Parra said to the audience. “I see myself as a solar panel and she’s my sun. … (I’m) sharing a fraction of that energy with you.”
The energy and community of Dale Duro is what made Communication freshman Isabella Polanco fall in love with the dance group.
Polanco said the dance group’s welcoming vibe gives her and others a much-needed breather from social and academic stressors.
“Going into Northwestern, I thought it was gonna look like one thing, and it ended up looking different than I thought it would,” Polanco said. “I’m so eternally grateful for that, because if life had turned out the way I thought it would, I wouldn’t have been in Dale. … I can’t imagine my life without Dale.”
Clarification: This article has been updated to include Britney Perez’s role at Dale Duro as Assistant Director.
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