If one walks through the halls of Great Crossing, one quickly sees that there is a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities represented in the students. GCHS’s Hispanic students are wanting to build an awareness for their heritage for students and staff by creating a new event called El Baile.

El Baile translates to “the dance” in Spanish, and dancing is a large part of Hispantic culture.  During El Baile musicians, bands, or DJs play music for people to enjoy while they’re dancing. It also includes many different Hispanic dishes and beverages for people to enjoy while they’re listening to the music or having a good time with their friends. Hispanics also include these practices in Quinceaneras, rodeos, parties, and other important events.

 Senior Sherlyn Jimenze, junior Kassandra Marquez, and senior Mayerli Ramirez came up with this idea to host El Baile at GCHS. The event will take place on January 27th in the cafeteria of GCHS at 7:00 pm.  The dance is being sponsored by the Sources of Strength program and is part of their diversity programming. It is also going to be open for everyone interested in learning more about Hispanic culture.  Jimenze said, “Of course, there is going to be dancing.” 

School social work Cheri Risher works closely with the Sources of Strength program, and is serving as the faculty sponsor for El Baile. Risher said “The Hispanic population makes up about 13% of the student body here at GCHS.  They are the largest minority represented at our school.  These students want to put a spotlight on who they are and share some of their culture with us. They want to teach some of their Latinx dances to us, share their music, and bring in some of the foods they enjoy.  I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for them to highlight the wonderful aspects of their culture!”

Marquez added, “People will get to experience what it is like to party with the Hispanic community, so basically it’s like a Hispanic prom.”

In Hispanic culture, there are many styles of dancing. Zapateado, huapango, cumbia, nortenas, bachata, merengue, salsa and many more. Many teenagers enjoy dancing these types of styles, which the girls are planning to provide these dancings styles and music for teenagers to dance and sing along. Luptia Cortez, senior, said “I enjoy dancing huapango the most, because it gets my body moving. It’s a faster beat and pace, and it’s fun.”

The girls want to educate others about their Hispanics heritage with this event. Hispanics trace their ancestry back to the indigenous people of North America, Spanish European, Asian, and African roots. Their culture is built with collective beliefs, traditions, and customs. Jimenez said “Dancing, our language, and the way we speak is important and unique to our culture.” 

Marquez added, “We want to show people that not only do we speak another language, we are proud to be hispanics and show why dancing means a lot to us.”

The Hispanic community of GCHS is excited about El Baile that Jimenez, Marquez, and Ramirez are planning to host at GCHS. Ailin Celeste, junior said “I feel excited and glad that we’re finally doing this and that we are being represented, I think it’ll bring the Hispanic community of this school together.”

Even though their representation is low, this makes them feel proud of where their roots come from and connected as a family.