Composed of talented musicians, dancers, and singers, the DDCUS Hispanic Heritage Show paid great homage to Hispanic culture. The event took place in the school’s dining hall last on Wednesday, October 4th at 6pm. Many parents and friends of the performers attended.
Mr. Araujo’s concert band was first to take the stage. The well-prepared group of around 33 students performed the song “Luz y Sombra” by Jorge Luis Vargas. Following this, the chorus graced the audience with a Spanish adaptation of the song “La Vida es Bella.” Conducted by Mr. Maicas and Mr. Blanco, the choir performed with two soloists and the rest of the choristers in the back singing in harmony. Next up was the beloved District 5 performing two songs: “La Camisa Negra” by Juanes and “Devuelveme a Mi Chica” by Hombres G and Los Enanitos Verdes. The performance was loved by many parents in the audience since those songs were the popular hits of their youth. After this, Mecano’s “Hijo de La Luna” was both sung and given a dance performance. The combination of both performing arts at once made for a different and innovative piece never seen before on the DDCUS stage. The next act was a flamenco dance by student Daniela Hernandez, who wore the colors of the Venezuelan flag to represent her roots. Performing a hype reggaeton remix followed the Sapphires, the school’s dance team, who danced to a music genre from the more modern era of Hispanic music. For one last time, the chorus took the stage again to sing “Color Esperanza” by Diego Torres, a song that has been important and treasured in Latin-America for nearly 20 years. The last performance was a salsa style dance by Ms. Novelas dance class with the song “Baila Conmigo.” It was the biggest group to perform with over 40 students, yet they delivered a dance that successfully represented their Hispanic roots.
The show was also very well-received by the audience and staff at DDCUS. Gabriela Amodio, a parent of a performer, says that “[her] favorite part was the salsa dance, and [she] loved seeing the students doing their choreography so coordinated and celebrating their Latino roots.” The show’s intention of highlighting the community’s Hispanic culture on their special month was met.
