Latin music flows through the dance studio, inviting NC State students to the welcoming, electric environment of Sube Ritmo, the only Latin dance team on campus.
Sube Ritmo is a student-led organization that aims to create an accepting, upbeat studio for students to learn Latino-style dance.
“We are mostly a team made by students for students,” said Daniela Deleon, a third-year studying computer science engineering and co-director of Sube Ritmo. “We teach, we come up with choreos, we do everything. … We just learn as we go and try to help each other.”
No dance experience is required to attend the workshops or join the team.
“I think all of us kind of started without any experience,” Cruz said. “And then we just kind of learned throughout the years, throughout the semesters.”
Sube Ritmo started by mainly dancing Salsa and Bachata, but as it grew, the team incorporated more styles of dance, including Festejo, Tango, Reggaeton and Cumbia.
“Whatever people want to do, we are like, ‘OK, let’s try it,’” Deleon said. “We like to diversify in order to learn and do more things and to be representative of the whole Latin community.”
The team aims to get members out of their comfort zones, meet new people, establish lifelong friendships and try new things, but most importantly, members aim to share their cultures through dance.
“The goal of our team is to create a safe space for everyone,” Deleon said. “We focus on the Latino community, but we aren’t exclusive to that, so anyone who is interested in learning more about the culture can join our team.”
Through dance, Sube Ritmo’s intention and purpose is to share love for members’ cultures with others.
“Also, [we want to] develop that love we have for our culture,” Deleon said. “We want to celebrate and transmit that love we have for our countries and diversify our campus and communities.”
For those unable to join but interested in learning traditional Latinx dances, Sube Ritmo holds workshops throughout the semester.
“We are trying to implement more workshops this year,” said Veronica Cruz, a fourth-year studying environmental science and co-director of Sube Ritmo. “[With] workshops, we bring in the community. We invite people to come to one of our practice dates so they can learn a choreo that we’re coming up with. That could either be Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton.”
This semester, Sube Ritmo performed Sept. 15 at the Latinx Cookout and has future performances scheduled at an elementary school, a government office and a wedding. Its spring showcase is tentatively scheduled for the end of March.
“It’s been so cool to see the community recognize the work we’ve put in as students … and decide that they want to help us outreach,” said Makayla Destafino, a second-year studying biological science and secretary of Sube Ritmo. “It’s been cool to kind of bring it together, outside of NC State and inside of NC State as well.”
In the future, the team wants to see Sube Ritmo get bigger and more established on campus while maintaining its family-like atmosphere.
“[Sube Ritmo] connects me to my family, and I miss them a lot,” said Britney Arbelaez, a fourth-year studying psychology and criminology and outreach director of Sube Ritmo. “I grew up going to dance, Bachata, Salsa, and all that, and so it reminds me of home. And [Sube Ritmo] is like my family here.”
Auditions to join Sube Ritmo are Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 8:15 p.m. and Thursday Sept. 21 at 8:45 p.m. in Carmichael Gym. For more information, visit their website or Instagram.
