Renegades danced the night away at El Baila con el Corazon! Well, almost. The event took place on Feb. 15 from 3-5:30p.m. No one there knew one another prior, but each student was paired with a dance partner that they got to know a little better later on. She was happy with how she took her opportunity to help bring students out of their shell and make it an experience they can share with the new friends they made that day.

“We celebrate love in all forms,” EOPS representative, Maria Mares-Baltazar said, “Not everyone has a significant other and not all love needs to be romantic love.” She shared about El Día del Amor y Amistad, which is the day of love and friendship in Latino culture, and she hosted the event to celebrate this day. It was important to her that students not only experience the language, but also the music and the steps in each dance and that these dance styles aren’t exclusive to one country but various that share Latino influence.

Every student there was smiling and making conversation with their dance partners. Baltazar made a point to make everyone feel included, even dancing with those that may not have had a dance partner. There were sweets and drinks, those included cupcakes, chocolate dipped strawberries, and hot chocolate that were occasionally enjoyed by one or two after a dance break.

Baltazar was also very patient with the students as they were learning, occasionally helping the students that needed it one on one. She was thorough with her instructions but wasn’t afraid to laugh and joke along with the students. As the event was coming to a close, she said she felt a lot of love that day. Not just because of the music that was in the air, but because it felt good to provide a safe place and platform for students to make friends when they may not have had the experience prior.