Hazel Tjaden

As I enter the spacious room and take my seat in a single row of eight other participants, the lights begin to dim and the music crescendos. Facing us at the front of the room, the DJ sits, too, beginning to narrate the performance to come. She starts the routine and beckons us, the audience, to come along for the ride. Following her musically-aligned movements and encouraging instructions, I am sweating in no time, but not so much that I can't keep up; the music drives me forward.

Willard Straight Hall came to life Wednesday evening. The beat of rhythmic feet, echoes of laughter and lively latin dance music — courtesy of a live DJ — breathed energy into the cavernous room as students, faculty and community members alike came together to celebrate Dominican and Haitian dance traditions.