The Latin based dance group, Pasión Latina, has brought a unique mix of culture and choreography to the Suffolk community. With a multitude of time and effort, the group has managed to establish itself as an expressive dance team and is now an inspiration for any student willing to step out of their comfort zone and join a new academic organization.
“We have a very familial culture within our group,” Jeremy Guevara, a junior marketing major and current member of Pasión Latina. “We all really, really love each other and it helps us with our dynamic when we dance.”
Created in the spring of 2013, Pasión Latina started off as a small group of friends with vast commonalities and a desire to express themselves and their heritage. Their focus was to proudly recognize the Latin culture but with a completely new approach in comparison to similar groups on campus.
This idea came from founder Clauder Aspilaire, a 2016 Suffolk graduate who wanted nothing more than to bring light to her heritage in a manner that was unique and pertinent to her interests.
“Clauder kind of just shared her idea with others and ran with it. She was able to get everyone excited about Pasión Latina,” said Kathleen Dasilva the group’s president, one of the original members of the group.
Facilitated by the Performing Arts Office (PAO), those involved were able to share the same enthusiasm and further delve into what had been merely just a plan a couple of month’s prior. As soon as they formed, Pasión Latina began dancing and performing as a way to recognize the Latin culture. They now have fourteen official members and have made it a routine to practice for their shows each semester, which has brought much reward and confidence to one of the PAO’s newest dance groups.
“We are very proud of the strides made by Pasión Latina,” said Kristin Baker, PAO director. “They are very culturally specific which is a motivating factor the for students performing and the audience as well.”
The group just posted the 10 finalists they selected after auditions they held on Sept. 13. Diving deep into various traditions and cultural norms, Pasión Latina celebrates primarily through dance. The group also spends its time reaching out to other Latino groups in Boston for more performances or to hang out.
“Our practice involves a very specific recipe of fun, sweat and laughs.,” said Guevara. “Rehearsals are pretty long and require a lot of mental stamina, to be honest. We can cover two to five different dance styles in a single rehearsal, which can be pretty taxing. We have breaks where we just let loose and get really funny, but at the end of the day, we are busy putting together exciting performances.”
Initially the group was not particularly selective. However, they are now forced to hold auditions due to the fact that there are so many eager participants. From this factor alone it is clear how much the group has progressed. From a mere group of 10 to a thriving team that holds auditions, Pasión Latina has been able to embrace a broader spectrum of talent.
“We actually just doubled if not tripled our group, which is amazing,” said Guevara. “While our small, intimate team was amazing last year, it’s always great to have more members. We just recruited some really dope talent that will add a lot of depth to our performances. The best part of being able to cover so many dance styles is that we can highlight different members and their abilities.”
Pasión Latina is set to announce their upcoming showcases in the near future. The hold practices twice a week and look forward to being able to perform around the greater Massachusetts area.
