Students and teachers at Hendrick Hudson High School offered Salsa, Bachata and Merengue dance lessons at the 2nd Annual Latin Soirée to help mark Hispanic Heritage Month. The event, which was held last week in the cafeteria and was hosted by the school’s English as a New Language department, was one of many activities that commemorated and celebrated Hispanic culture in recent weeks.

The Latin Soirée allowed students and staff to watch demonstrations of the dances and then step onto the dance floor to practice what they had been taught. Some of the ENL students thrived teaching their classmates and members of the school community, who clearly enjoyed the lessons and the chance to practice their new moves.

Said ENL teacher Sonal Patel-Sheth: “It truly was an empowering exchange for all.”

Hen Hud senior Karen Pulla and alumnus Jefferson Zhingri, who both perform professionally, arranged to wear their traditional Ecuadorian attire from the region of Otavalo. The duo joined forces to dance as an ensemble for those in attendance and became the focus of many camera lenses during their performance!

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the ENL department collaborated with the Hispanic Honor Society to create additional opportunities to highlight the cultures of Latin American countries. There were crafts during lunch periods that highlighted the importance of celebrating Latin countries gaining their independence.

One of the notable crafts was Ojos de Dios, which is Spanish for Eyes of God. The woven yarn objects are considered good luck and are said to offer protection to those who use them.

The students also distributed Chupa Chups (Spanish lollipops) affixed with strips of paper containing interesting facts. Some of those facts recounted countries gaining their independence while others honored the contributions of prominent Hispanic figures around the world.