The following article originally appeared in Juniata High School's newspaper The Arrowhead.

On April 11th, 2017 the Spanish classes from Juniata High School and East Juniata High School took a trip to Harrisburg, PA to see the Hispanic Flamenco Ballet Show which is performed all around the United States by the Arts and Dance Company, from New York to Texas. The performance was split into two separate shows that, through dance, revealed to the students the culture of different Spanish-speaking countries.

The first show focused on the different styles of dance that are found within the countries. For example, Cuba is known for the Cha Cha Cha, a ballroom dance that consists usually of three quick steps in between two slower steps. Colombia is all about the Salsa, and I don’t mean the food. Salsa did originate in the Caribbean, but the dance made its way to Colombia where the people changed some of the moves and the rhythm to make it their own. There are many other countries’ dances the group demonstrated as well. For instance, Brazil lives and breathes Samba, while the Dominican Republic prefers the Merengue. Argentina is famous for its Argentine Tango, and Mexico has their own form of folk dances. Every one of the styles of dances were performed wonderfully by the group.

I have been dancing for a long time, yet I could only dream of doing what they did. The best part of the first show was when the dancers asked students who had been given special red tickets to come up on stage and dance with the professionals. Then the kids returned to their seats, the dancers took a bow, and the first show ended.

After an intermission, the second show started which was centered on the Passion of Spain. The dancers showed the students some of the classic folk dances of Spain as well as the Paso Doble, one of Spain's most famous dances. The students were then given a lesson about La Tuna, which is not a fish. La Tuna is a group of musicians dating back to the 13th century that played in courts and today play Hispanic music. After the brief lesson, the company concluded the second and final show with a love story about a boy and girl who fell in love while dancing. Originally, the girl's father kept the two apart, but after begging, pleading, and dancing, the power of love prevailed and the two lovebirds earned the father's blessing.

Once the story was over, the dancers again called students up to join them and ended up dancing to the Macarena. The students on stage seemed to have a blast and to be relieved that it was a dance they knew. When they had finished dancing, the students went back to their seats and the dancers took their final bow.

The show was incredibly entertaining, and it educated the students about the different cultures in Latin American countries through dance. This experience was interesting to me especially because dance is a passion of mine and getting to see professionals dance on a stage as magnificently as they did was amazing. The company puts a lot of effort into this production so students can learn while having fun, and the dancers manage to work hard while making it look effortless, amazing, and graceful. I highly recommend seeing the show if you are interested in dance or Hispanic cultures and if the company is in a city near you.