To spice things up this year, the International Club hosted a Latin dance party in the Commons.  On Dec. 1, English as a Second Language  (ESL) students came together, with the support of ESL teachers Ms. Susan Goldstein and ESL teacher Ms. Sara Choit, to perform different Latin dances.

In order to prepare, the students worked before and after school to perfect their routines.  They performed salsa, bachata, and more.

Students moved to the beats of DJ Jonathan Garcia Ortega (DJ Flow), who played songs including “Te Extraño” by Xtreme, “Suavemente” by Elvis Crespo, “Sube las Manos Pa’ Arrriba” by Pitbull, and other dynamic music.

“We had a wonderful and talented DJ, Jonathan, who is also an ESL student.  The kids just danced—and they got the audience to join them,” said Ms. Choit.

The party kicked off with the introduction of the dancers and a performance that included five different dances.  Afterwards, the audience and the dancers enjoyed refreshments and food from different parts of the world, including pupusas and pizza.

“We had a lot of fun. We were all dancing, and I really liked it,” said freshman Mileidy Davila.

“As for myself, I had a wonderful time.  I wish it could be an annual event.  I was jealous of the great dancers, but knew I better just watch so that I didn’t embarrass the school with my awful moves,” said Assistant Principal Dr. Brad Fitzgerald.

Not only did those who attended enjoy it, but also the organizers expressed their satisfaction with all the hard work and sweat that was put into preparing  the party.

“My favorite part was the group performance.  We’ve been working a lot for that.  It ended up really good,” said dancer senior Enrique Ascencio.

“It was definitely a success. Everyone seemed to have a great time as did we,” said Ms. Choit.

With the goal of continuing the entertainment, ESL teachers are planing to host more dance parties.

“There is a lot of talk of trying to extend the event.  Hopefully we’ll be hosting future Latin dance performances,” said  Ms. Goldstein.