RIDDIM Dancer Spices Up Life with Salsa

Author: Lucie Greene

Contemporary dance, particularly hip-hop, Asian, African and Latino influenced, is a major element of Middlebury College's arts and culture. Not only has break dancing become extremely popular, but concerts put on by troupes such as RIDDIM, as well as other visiting companies, sell out within days of tickets going on sale. More and more, it seems, the popularity of such groups and dance forms indicate not only a presence, but also it shows an appreciation for cultural diversity. RIDDIM, as a student organization, is the most significant of these. Its success has been extremely important in providing a venue for the vast array of talent that exists here.
Juan PeÒa '03 is a familiar face to many on campus. A senior in not only the RIDDIM dance troupe, but also a participant in Cynthia Hernandez's '05 Winter Term salsa dance classes and the emcee at the most recent Latino Symposium, he is a major force behind the increasing visibility of Latino culture at Middlebury. (All you have to do is try and contact him on his voice mail to realize the boy's popularity here!)
One of many talented people in the troupe, Pena's mixture of confidence and humor makes him extremely endearing. This in combination with a natural skill from his background of salsa clubs in his home Miami results (in collaboration with a number of talented others) in salsa becoming an ever popular and central feature of Middlebury life. The Middlebury Campus, after clambering over the hordes of screaming fans, managed to catch up with Pena himself and give him the spotlight, that within the contemporary dance world at this college in which he already basks.
The Campus: Hey Juan
Juan PeÒa: Hey
The Campus: So where is it that you're you from originally? Where did you grow up?
J.P.: Miami, Florida, although I like to say Cuba because that's basically what Miami is.
The Campus: Do you feel that where you live and your background has had an impact on what you're doing now?
J.P.: Definitely. I think the situation in Cuba for the past 40 years has been at the forefront of all conversations in my house. Somehow everything went back to Fidel and what he has or has not done. Just recently, for example, the topic of choice in my house was the unlawful arrests of human rights advocates on the island.
My Cuban background also forced me to dance. (Images of mother with a cummerbund, high-waisted dress dancing pants and a whip). When I say forced-I mean there is no way of not dancing at least six quinces of family and friends before you hit the age of 20. If you can't dance, the tyrannical choreographer will all but beat a good turn out of you!
The Campus: (laughter) That's funny. So how did this then translate to what you do here?
J.P.: I think I've used what I learned from those experiences...from the amazing dancers I saw dancing next to me in the Miami salsa clubs. I was able to bring that out here and sometimes incorporate new stuff. I have definitely learned a lot here from my RIDDIM peeps. Luisa Peralta '03, for example, is a salsa goddess and has taught me a thing or three. Cynthia's Hernandez's Winter Term class was also incredible. That girl can dance!
The Campus: What sort of dances exactly do you do?
J.P.: I do salsa, merengue, bachata, and cumbia ... my good friend Michele Connors '03, a Latin trapped in an Irish-American's body, and I also invented an interpretive salsa here at Middlebury. It's really caught on I think, because the other day some girls from the suite next to where we dance came over and were doing it like pros.
The Campus: Wow! That's pretty cool.
J.P.: Yeah, I couldn't believe it.
The Campus: What are you going to call it? 'Jualsa'? (Attempt at wit ... gaaaah)
J.P.: Funny. (Eyebrow raised, perhaps in cynicism).
The Campus: Do you believe it's important to spread Latino culture on campus? Would you say it's something that's lacking here?
J.P.: I think it's important for anyone here to let others understand where they are coming from. It is these interactions that make the Middlebury education what it is. I think RIDDIM, ALC and AAA, for example, have become as important to the education of students here as the courses. The Latino population in the U.S. is growing rapidly and the only way to stop ignorance about Latinos and Latino issues is to educate.
The Campus: That's true, so what's the reaction been like here? What sort of reception do the salsa classes and RIDDIM receive?
J.P.: I took salsa classes with Cynthia Hernandez and will be performing as a RIDDIM Dance Troupe member in our coming show. The amazingly talented and beautiful Luisa Peralta choreographed the piece I will be in. It is hard to say this because all her dances have been great, but this is definitely one of her best pieces. What was great about working with Luisa is that she is so open that she has incorporated many of my ideas into the piece. I think her hard work will definitely show in a couple of weeks. It will definitely be a fusion of Cuban and Dominican dance moves. That's really great. It's refreshing to see innovation in anything like this. It keeps it really contemporary.
The Campus: How do you feel about Riddim? Is it nice to bring a Hispanic/Latino influence to the troupe?
J.P.: Riddim is a family. Janine Knight '03, the president, is one of the most caring and thoughtful people I know, and she has put so much into making our next show one of the best student performances Middlebury has ever seen. Some of the dancers in the group like Toni Spence '04 and Edlyn Chao '03, are so quick to pick up moves, they could be dancing with Janet Jackson's troupe and show Miss Jackson a thing or two!
The Campus: You recently also were emcee at the Symposium. How did that go?
J.P.: It went really well. I think the audience is always important, and having Marilyn Urena '06 as my partner made all the difference. ALC was so together with the Symposium that it made my job easy. Plus, it was great to bring up my own experiences at home and incorporate them into the emceeing. Lollinez Perez '03, the President of ALC, Marilyn and I wanted, more than anything, to educate and entertain at the same time. I think we accomplished that!
The Campus: So where do you plan to take all this? I know you've got into to Harvard Law School. Where do you see yourself headed?
J.P.: I hope to continue working with Human Rights issues. I would love to work with Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch after graduation from law school. I'm really interested in this aspect of law and will also be organizing the Human Rights Film Festival next week (everyone should go - it'll be good!). I know that was a shameless plug but it will definitely get people talking!
The Campus: It sounds great. I'm sure they will. Good luck, Juan.
J.P.: Thanks.
The Campus: Thanks to you too.