Lerner’s Roone Auditorium saw a night of stunning performances delivered by Columbia’s “First and Hottest Latinx Dance Troup,” CU Sabor.

From Afro-Cuban salsa to baile to carnival performances, Sabor, Columbia’s “First and Hottest Latinx Dance Troupe” (according to their Instagram bio), put on a night of show-stopping performances that paid homage to the dynamic lineage of dance and music traditions across Latin America. 

Divided into two acts, Sabor presented fifteen performances. Sabor’s co-captains, Valeria Alanis-González (BC ’26) and Steven Fernandez (CC ’26), choreographed the first performance, “Soñando Con Sabor,” which roughly translates to “Dreaming With Sabor.” This is also the title of the showcase, which to me emphasized the tie between all the works, and perhaps the very act of performance, as an expression of possibilities. Dreamers can imagine anything. 

Each performance was prefaced by a statement from the artist. One that stuck in my mind was the penultimate performance by Kamaru Oseni (CC ‘25) and Leilani Mendez (BC ‘25), “Afro-Salsa Fusion,” where the speaker in the video discusses their personal connection with salsa traditions through their Afro-Cuban heritage. I experienced this performance as a mosaic of many imaginations and intentions. Another earlier piece, “Cuba Que Baila,” presented by Cecilia Martínez (BC ‘26) and Matthew Núñez (SEAS ‘26), also showcased rich Cuban dance traditions. 

Following “Cuba Que Baila,” Cindy Carbajal-Rodriguez (CC ‘27) and Julissa Hernandez (CC ‘27) choreographed “El Nuevo Cumbiambero,” which was followed by “Peligrosa” by Mendez and Alanis-González. These performances were powered by contemporary music and offered an eclectic combination with songs that displayed more traditional dance patterns. They were also imbued with vitality and community. Their dresses coordinated to match with one another. The choreographies were designed to be danced in groups, making the stage feel so alive. Some of the dances were couple dances, but even then, the women’s coordinated red outfits also emphasized a connection to one another. 

I also really enjoyed “Un Groupo Unido,” by Gabriela Quintero (SIPA), Sofia Marin-Quiros (CC ‘25), and Yara Mai Saabneh (CC ‘25). This group dance included a transition from couple dancing to a dance between the women in the performance, and highlighted different kinds of equally interesting group formations. Using Elyanna’s “Ganeni” as the music, the performance also emphasized the resistance and fortitude of Palestinian and Latin American people against forces of colonization and imperialism. Then, the final performance, “Mi Gente,” choreographed by Fernandez and Alanis-González, was a major gesture to include a lot of the performers on stage. 

The vast range of performances on stage really highlighted the genuine care that CU Sabor put into displaying the breadth of dance traditions across Latin America, and the communal spirit that dance creates around these celebrations. 

Roone Auditorium via Bwarchives.