By Lauren Gill
The tri-co’s only Latin Dance Troupe, Pulso Latino, presented its fall showcase on Friday night in Marshall Auditorium. The troupe wowed the audience, performing passionate, elegant numbers as well as upbeat, fun ones.
The show started off on a high note with “Cumbia,” a by-product of the traditional Colombian Cumbia. This was set to the music of “The Roof is on Fire.”
After a mystical rendition of “The Dream,” in which a sleeping Lydie Costes was awoken by Raul Lazo, the new members of the group came together and performed a piece of their own. The dance was a product of the new dancers ideas and choreography, and served as a showcase the new crop of Pulso Latino’s valuable talents.
Pulso then welcomed to the stage some guests: Project Capoeira. In this performance, the group performed Capoeira, which is “A martial art created by African slaves in Brazil over 400 years ago,” according to the program. This consisted of members gracefully taking part in “duels” onstage. Rhythmic, pounding drums accompanied the artists.
Another guest of the night was Aftershock, a group of four high school students. Their breakdancing and stepping electrified the crowd.
The final guest performance consisted of an elegant Flamenco routine. The dancers presented two genres to the audience, the Sevillanas and Bulerías. The latter was a celebrative dance, and the former was a dramatic showing.
In addition to the three guests, the night was sprinkled with impressive solo performances. The dancers put their best feet forward and managed to amaze the crowd.
Pulso finished up with “Bahia, Bahia,” a fun number done to a mix of Samba, Funk Carioca, and Axé. It was an enjoyable way to cap off the night, and left the audience looking forward to their next show.