by Adina Brenner ’20 and Kara Thompson ’20

Sherwood is the proud home to many clubs and activities. One of these is the Latin Dance Team, ¡Viva Latino!, which has been at Sherwood for only two years. Last year, the team performed at Sherwood’s annual International Show and other school wide events. This year, however, the team had the opportunity to compete at the Latin Dance Competition, held at Strathmore Music Hall on November 25. 

This is the 20th year of the competition, where students from all over the county showcase their talents in different categories of Latin dance, including Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and ChaCha. The event  is sponsored by the After School Dance Fund, also called Baila4Life. Their mission is to promote wellness, and heritage, as well as facilitate youth leadership using Rhythms in Latin Dance Education. ASDF was established in 2010 to help level the playing field of the dance competition. 

¡Viva Latino!, sponsored by teachers Ariana Peralta and Tanya Aguilar, consists of seventeen student members, including senior captains Jasmine Lopez, Melanie Perla, and Giselle Rosalles. The team is coached by Emily and Beatrice Pier, former Montgomery County students who attended Watkins Mill High School. In addition to the main coaching staff, the team has a volunteer choreographer who attended practices once a week for extra help. 

Lots of time and effort was put into preparing for their performance. The team practiced four times a week after school, with an extra Saturday practice or two as the competition got closer. The Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center donated space for the practices, as well as a local dance studio. 

Despite the loss of free time due to intense rehearsals, both the students and staff of ¡Viva Latino! developed an unbreakable bond. “Watching the self-confidence and strength of the dancers blossom and grow is one of the best parts [of coaching],” said Aguilar. “The mentorship between the upperclassmen and the younger members is just beautiful. I’m so proud of every one of them.” 

 Sherwood placed 5th in the competition, and Northwest ended up placing first. However, this is only the beginning for a team full of passion and determination. For their next event, the team performed at Taco Bar in Olney to raise money for a Sherwood family on Thursday, December 5 from 4 to 8 p.m.

“I joined the team so that my friends and I could help bring the Latin culture to Sherwood. To me, the team means family. We’re there for each other, no matter what,” said Lopez.