The Columbia Chronicle covers Mi Gente Latin Dance Club and Team’s performances at Soldier Field during a half-time show for the Chicago Bears:
“Columbia’s Mi Gente Latin Dance Club and Team is set to perform at the halftime show of the Chicago Bears home game on Monday, Sept. 28, bringing current student and alumni dancers together for primetime at Soldier Field.
Valentina Garcia, president of Mi Gente, heard of the opportunity after taking a salsa class with Denita Inez, director of Desueño Dance Company. Garcia initially was looking for a space to restage a parade choreography. Although that collaboration didn’t materialize, Inez later texted Garcia with a new opportunity to perform at Soldier Field.
‘You never know who you are going to meet. If that day I would have said I’m not going to go to that salsa class, I would have never met Denita and the team wouldn’t be here right now,’ said Garcia, a junior dance major, who coordinated and selected the team that will perform at the football game.
Mi Gente is a student dance club centered on uplifting Latino voices, traditions and heritage through a variety of dance styles. Fourteen current students and alumni are set to perform at the halftime show.
photo by: Zachary Cramer courtesy of The Columbia Chronicle.
Senior dance major Areli Ramirez’s initial thought was that the invitation to perform did not feel real.
‘I started questioning and asking ‘what if it’s for a performance outside of Soldier Field?’’’ she said. ‘It feels unreal because you pass by it every day coming onto campus.’
Mi Gente has been rehearsing the Soldier Field choreography for over a month, practicing once a week for one hour at Columbia and two times a week outside of club hours.
Emily Ortiz, junior acting major, is proud of what the club has done and what it means for her.
‘It’s such a great and amazing opportunity for us,’ Ortiz said. ‘Being Latinos, we are typically not seen very much and this performance is not just about dancing, but about unity and community.’
Liliana Napoles Carrera, vice president of Mi Gente, hopes that their performance leaves people feeling more empowered to go and perform at bigger spaces, leaving behind their fear of showing off their culture and love for dancing…”
banner photo: photo by Zachary Cramer for The Columbia Chronicle.
