Salsa! Merengue! Arms flailing and booty shaking!
This interactive performance slash dance lesson took Latinx dancing to a whole new level. For Carmen Aguirre, instructor and performer, Latinx culture, identity, and history are tied to her every move. Here, the personal and intimate are not only political but also manifestations of social movements and activism. Her sharing of stories on the dance floor is more than just a matter of cultural representation but that of principle. It is an exertion of her, and our, natural state. This subversion through dance moves is a protest against past oppression of peoples from the South American nation-states.
Music seeped through our bodies and sweat through our clothes. We, the audience slash participants, soon became one with Carmen. The twerking became commemorative. Our swaying of hips in precise steps was spiritual, sensual, and sacred. The performance slash dance lesson often broke into moments of prayer, and at other times into remembrance of a loved one. It shed light on the struggles of the Latinx community in Vancouver and told stories about revolutions and strife taking place in Latin American countries. Carmen brought two big themes together – stories of generational migration and those of people finding each other through the power of music!
While DJ Don Pedro, the boss, played upbeat music, ‘la jefa’ commanded utter awe as she gracefully and expertly showed off her Latinx moves. She played with us and taught us how to see ourselves as the gorgeous erotic beings that we are. She told us tales of her wildest nights of dancing and devilish decadence, ultimately revealing how she earned her mysterious broken tailbone.
“Broken Tailbone” plays until February 24th at the Cultch and is not to be missed. Get your tickets here!
– Maira Hassan