This past Friday, students gathered together on the map side of the Student Center to eat Taco Bell tacos, drink Ale-8 and dance the Bachata. The event, hosted by Asbury sophomores Jared Alfaro and Farid Vega, has been in the works since this past August. The idea for the dance-centered event became an idea after the success of last year’s Latino Festival in the CLC, hosted by the Latino Student Alliance (LSA).
Vega had directed the dance portion of the Latino Festival in October of 2022, which taught the Bachata, but with the limited time frame felt it was not enough. That experience weighed into the decision to create an event with a heavier focus on the Bachata dance. During the planning for the Bachata dance night, Vega decided to step into a similar role to his in last year’s dance festival but elevated with his position as co-host.
Bachata dance is originally from the Dominican Republic, but has since spread and is danced around the world. It can be “found in every Latino culture,” said Alfaro. “Since some students have not gotten the chance to go back home, we are bringing home to them.” Alfaro, who is from Ecuador, said that he and Vega, who is from Panama, miss their homes, so they wanted to bring a taste of that to campus.
The event was more than simply introducing students on campus to the Bachata, but to share a new cultural perspective. Alfaro said, “Everybody can engage and have a fun time, like at a normal party in a Latino household. We want to share our culture with all the students to show how some activities are back home.”
At the event, the attendees ranged from students in LSA to students who were just intrigued by the colorful flyer sent out through email. Students who came to the dance were able to either jump right into dancing or stand back and observe the dancing first, mulling over tacos and Jarritos before moving onto the dance floor. More than just a dance, it was an opportunity for those in Asbury’s community to come together and socialize over food, music and company.
There was no divide between those who knew the dance and those learning. As the night progressed, everyone took to the dance floor and celebrated one another’s cultures. The sense of community that this dance fostered fed into one the goals that Alfaro and the other planners of the event had. “We want any student from any culture to come because another purpose of this is to share one of the most important activities we have with the students at Asbury,” Alfaro said, prior to the dance.
Once the dance finished, students continued to hang out in the Stuce and drink the extra Jarritos, wondering when the next dance will be. After this event, there is no doubt that people are looking forward to the next LSA-hosted event.
Featured image by Sam Reed.