Estimadas familias,
¡Qué noche tan espectacular! We did it! We finally did it! Some of our longer term families might recall that we attempted to book the Latin dance residency with Havana Cuban Dance Studio prior to the emergency closure of schools for spring 2020. We are thrilled that our plans to work with Marcos Ravelo finally came to fruition. Both performance nights were outstanding. I cannot express how much gratitude I have for our students, staff and families for trusting us to bring this experience to Escuela Eugene Coste. It is incredibly powerful to provide a range of learning opportunities to students both inside and outside of the classroom. When these opportunities target skills beyond the academic “basics”, we provide all students the chance to shine and to challenge their abilities in ways that they may not have experienced.

I would like to take this time to provide some cultural background to the social dances that students learned for our celebration. These dances have a rich tradition of being enjoyed informally at house parties, street festivals and clubs. You may have also seen competitive performances as well.

Merengue (Kindergarten, Grade 1)

•  Origin: Dominican Republic (national dance!) 

• Draws influence from European and Afro-Cuban styles

•  Originated as a rural dance- One of the foundational dances of Latin America with upbeat music and easy to learn (mostly) moves 

Merengue-Cumbia (Grade 2)

Marcos referred to the students’ performance as Merengue-Cumbia. We’ll share some details about Cumbia here.

• Origin: Colombia
• Draws influence from African, Indigenous and European music/dance traditions. 
•  Born during the Spanish colonial era 
• Typically danced socially rather than in competition or formal performance- you learn by watching others!

Bachata (Grade 3)

• Origin: Dominican Republic countryside (20th Century so pretty recent)
•  Draws influence from Spanish guitar, indigenous Taino and African musical elements (drums)
•  It is one of the more romantic social dances. Marcos toned down some of those elements to make it student friendly

Salsa (Grade 4) 

• Origin: Cuba
•  Combines Cuban son, Afro-Cuban rumba, American Jazz 

• Danced socially and competitively, It is one of the most well-known Latin dances. Many different styles and fusions have evolved over time.

Reggaeton (Grade 5)

• Origin: Puerto Rico (late 1990’s); some sources cite the music as originating in Panama in the 1970’s
• Strongly influenced by Latin American, Caribbean and hip hop music
• Free-spirited style, popular at parties and nightclubs. Modified for our students

SCHOOL SPIRIT DAYS! - December 21 (kinder) and December 22 (whole school)
Our School Council has invited students and staff of Escuela Eugene Coste to participate in monthly Spirit Days to further build community within our building. These are intended to be fun and hopefully fuss-free days that everyone can identify with.
Our next Dia del Espiritu Escolar has been decided on by students- Pajama Day!
Wear your favourite cozy pajamas.