The Elizabethtown College Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging hosted a Cultural Dance Workshop to celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. On Sept. 15, Etown students gathered in the Koon’s Activity Venue (KAV) to take part in this collaborative movement. Assistant Director of Residence Life Kayshen Morel led the class, establishing a comfortable pace for all levels of dancers. Associate Director for Diversity, Equity and Belonging Ellis Bonds helped to prepare and plan the event.
Hispanic Heritage Month was created to honor the contributions of Latinx and Hispanic Americans have made to the United States. It is celebrated from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15 to honor Hispanic cultures and traditions. The start date is Sept. 15 because it is the day of Independence for five Hispanic countries: Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Nicaragua. The acknowledgment of these Independence Days aids in the importance of observing Hispanic Heritage Month.
The Cultural Dance Workshop was focused on educating and appreciating Hispanic cultures. The dance started with a brief overview of the significance and necessity of the event. Then, the attendees broke into partners and began learning a variety of dances, like the Bachata. Morel and Bonds created a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere throughout the entirety of the event. This allowed for students to experience Latinx and Hispanic Heritage enjoyably. Dancing was the chosen way to begin this celebratory month due to its relevance in Hispanic culture.
“I think it’s important, especially within this culture, because dance is much more than an expression of art. It’s definitely a staple of the culture. I grew up Sunday mornings listening to this kind of music, my mother teaching me how to dance as a child, and that’s something that a lot of people from this culture can definitely relate to,” Morel said.
In addition to educating others, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging wanted to honor other heritages. “We do a lot of education in our office, but we really want to focus on celebrating other cultures as well,” Bonds said.
Through the event, students learned how to correctly enjoy other cultures. The Cultural Dance Workshop taught students to be appreciative of other heritages and to respectfully take part in their events.
“I think it creates an opportunity for cultural appreciation. With us being able to create that space for students, they’re able to engage correctly, instead of doing it on their own incorrectly,” Bonds explained.
Jalen Belgrave-Haith, an attendee of the dance, found it to be a worthwhile experience. He shared that he learned more about this annual celebration and the Latinx community.
“Hispanic Heritage month is more than just one type of dance. It’s a culture. You can always learn different things from different cultures,” Belgrave-Haith said.
He further explained the necessity for cultural events on the College’s campus. “It’s a space where we could have cultural appreciation, not cultural appropriation. Kayshen taught us to live from these experiences and learn from this culture. When we think of advocacy, people always think of educational events. This time we learned how to dance, it’s something that’s interactive. You can learn from anything,” Belgrave-Haith stated.
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging desire to create more events for cultural celebration in the future. They aim to establish a campus community for everyone, specifically following Elizabethtown College’s Statement of Non-Discrimination.
The students that attended the dance are looking forward to more events like this. The experience was not only enlightening, but the start of a larger movement.
“More of this should happen in the future. This starts the wave of how advocacy, equity, diversity and belonging works in the future at Etown,” Belgrave-Haith explained.
