High school students in Maryland learn valuable skills through dance

The Titanes Salseros Photo: Courtesy of Paula Pero

It is Saturday afternoon and some classrooms in the Albert Einstein High School in Silver Spring, Md. are filled with high school students taking the SATs. Over the testing silence, a faint rhythm of stomping feet can be heard from one wing on the lower level of the school. Inside, a group of students are practicing their sevillanas, a variation of the flamenco dance particular to the Southern region of Spain. The Titanes Salseros--named after their high school mascot, the Titan—is the Latin dance performance group at the school and this year, they performed for the second time at the D.C. Salsa Congress.

The performers range from 14 to 20 in age and practice on Saturdays and weekday evenings. When preparing for performances and competitions, the practices can last up to six hours. The group agrees the amount of time they put into practice is challenging but worth it, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. They are like a family, they explain.

The Latin dance group at AEHS was founded 15 years ago by Yolanda Glower, and initially focused on folkloric dance. Their current organizer, Paula Pero, took over in 2000 and invited fellow D.C salsero Ricardo Loaiza to teach. Pero showed off the Titanes’ trophy case from her nine years leading the group. The trophies, some as tall as two feet, range from “Best in Show” to “Best Bachata” and “Best Merengue.” According to James Fernandez, the school principal, “much of the credit goes to Ms. Pero, who spends countless hours with the kids and sets high expectations which they achieve and exceed.”

The group’s repertoire includes merengue, bachata, cha cha cha, cumbia, samba and more recently flamenco. They perform all over the D.C. metro area, including competitions at local high schools, talent shows, pep rallies, elementary schools, churches, and once at a Wizards Game. They were even called upon to perform at a local wedding. The Titanes have already performed 30 shows this year and have several booked throughout the summer.

While most of the students plan to keep dancing salsa as a hobby after they graduate, some plan to do it for a living. Karen Zepada wants to pursue dancing as a profession. She choreographed a major part of the salsa section for the group’s D.C. Salsa Congress routine, which also showcases other styles of dance such as flamenco.

According to Pero, the main purpose of the group is to give students something to do after school, and to fight the negative statistics that many Latinos kids deal with, such as high school dropout rates. Team members must keep at least a 2.5 GPA to stay in the group, half a grade point higher than the requirement for other school activities and sports.

The students receive a lot of support from their families and the school. “My mom comes to all my shows,” says student David Cuevas, “She gets really excited about the performances.” Isabel Argoti’s little sister “wants to learn all the moves.” Principal Fernandez has been very supportive as well and recently took the Titanes out to dinner at Ledo’s Pizza. He says, “I personally love to watch them not only because they are so precise and entertaining but they really enjoy what they do.”

The group’s success comes from their dedication and passion for dance. These young salseros are sure to be part of your salsa scene in no time.

This article was originally published in The Scene, a Washington D.C. area salsa magazine.  www.thescenemagdc.com