People say that dance needs no interpreters; it is universal and brings people together. Throughout the world, various racial and ethnic groups tell their stories of their lives and values through dance, shared and taught through generations and portraying their cultural anthropology. Every gesture or movement and every facial expression has its own cultural meaning. Suffice it to say, any cultural celebration involves dancing! Even in the microcosm of the Trinity Prep campus, we have Saints who exemplify their cultural identity through dance.

Rhea M. ’24

Rhea has been dancing in ballet, tap, and jazz since she was three. At six, she moved to Bharatanatyam, the oldest classical Indian dance that expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas. As a “Shishya,” a student apprentice, she has embraced her culture through dance styles from Bollywood to Bharatanatyam. She says, “Dancing is my personal way to connect to my cultural heritage, especially in this time of declining Indian culture amongst the Indian diaspora.” The culmination of her training will be on June 1, 2024, at Trinity Prep, when she will undergo a 3.5-hour solo to become a “Guru.”

Julianna R. ’27

Julianna and her family are Puerto Rican, and Latin dancing is ingrained in their daily lives. It’s generational! Her mother owned a studio and taught Salsa. Julianna says she “likes moving and expressing myself and my culture through dance!” Having studied Salsa (an Afro-Cuban rooted Latin dance that exploded in NYC with fluid and passionate movements) and Bachata (a Dominican Republic-born syncopated and sensual music with soft hip movements) since she was five years old, she now has weekly practices that have launched her into the highly competitive World Salsa Summit competition. She placed first in Duet Salsa, and Top 5 in Solo Salsa and Solo Bachata. She was a state finalist for the Florida Junior Teen National American Miss this year.  Espousing her Latin roots in the studio where her stress melts away, she says dancing invigorates her, and it feels like home.

Whenever you have an opportunity to attend a cultural event, be open to it and appreciate the heritage of that culture, whether it be a Japanese “Bon-Odori” at a summer festival or an  “Adumu” at an African wedding. The colors and textiles of the costumes will take your breath away, too. It will lead to open-mindedness and appreciation of those around us and their cultural values.