When I was a kid I would watch while my parents danced. At every birthday party, wedding or quinceañera, my parents would get up to dance, leaving my sibling and I at the table. I would look at them having fun dancing with the rest of the adults, recalling distant times before my sibling or I was born.
Dancing is an important part of Mexican culture. At every party, the young, middle-aged and old will get up and dance by themselves or with a partner. It doesn’t matter if it’s with a romantic partner, a friend or family member, but as long as you’re dancing, you’re part of the party. That often meant that I was not part of the party.
I was always the kid who would say no to dancing and remain sitting at the table, reading his book or playing a game on his Nintendo DS. My mom would call me an “aguafiestas,” Spanish for party pooper, when I would tell her I didn’t want to dance. As a kid who wasn’t a social butterfly, dancing was not in my lane. Still, as I got older, my mom would push me more and more to go join them on the dance floor.
It’s my freshman year and I find myself in a similar situation. Even when I go out with friends to a party or go to a school event where you can dance, I find myself holding back. Yet, as the year progressed, I found that dance had become something I was more open to. Coming to a city like Portland, with fewer Latinos than Las Vegas, I felt that keeping the little things from home mattered so much more. Dancing has become a way for me to keep old memories alive and maintain a form of cultural identity.
So, I ask you to join me in dancing, whether it be at a party with your friends, at a concert or at home by yourself. Dancing is not just a form of fun, but a way for us to maintain our cultural heritage. It also is a natural part of our reaction to listening to music. It’s a part of the visceral feeling that music gives us anytime we listen.
Dancing can be hard for everyone to join in sometimes, and I understand. However, when you let yourself go and enjoy the music, dancing can be fun! Sometimes as human beings we need to set ourselves free and just enjoy the fun. No need to make it complicated — just let yourself be entranced in the dance.
Antonio Acosta is a sports reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at acostaa26@up.edu.
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