By: Kenan Grier
Students and faculty alike met in the Student Center on a recent Thursday afternoon in search of dance partners to the sounds of salsa and merengue. Many non-Spanish Club members came to participate in dance, or simply to observe and enjoy the pizza and soda.
FCC alum Kyle Pineda served as the instructor, showing attendees how to move in step. Pineda has been teaching dance for the Spanish Club for six years, and his favorite style of dance is cha-cha.
Club president Harry Lopez encourages people who are interested in learning how to dance to attend and vice president Taylor Pinetti echoes that sentiment, saying it is a great way to meet people.
When music is heard coming from a room with an open door, it is sure to draw attention and it certainly was true with the dance class. Passersby who entered were greeted and were offered to partake. Many people found the dance class a good place to socialize whether they were dancing or not.
It can be hard for some people to dance because of shyness or inexperience. Luckily, the class was set up for beginners, while still leaving room for more experienced dancers to have fun.
Professor Laura Cordova heads the FCC Spanish Club, and although she does not participate in the dancing, her enthusiasm for the class was palpable. Cordova is always interested in having people participate in Spanish Club events even if they are not club members.
For those of you who think that Spanish Club is solely about speaking Spanish, you would be mistaken. It is more about the “celebration of Latino culture,” Cordova said. Dance classes are one of the events that celebrate that culture by teaching dances like salsa, cha-cha and bachata. Other club events include trivia and a Day of the Dead celebration, which takes place around Halloween.
