The Spanish Department partnered with Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish honorary, to teach students flamenco dancing Oct. 9.
Associate Professor of Spanish Kátia Sherman said she spent her teenage years living in Spain, learning about the culture through the flamenco dance and bullfighting.
“Instead of being a good, responsible student, staying in my room and reading my books, I did some of that, but I spent most of my time getting to know the ladies who did the laundry, most of whom were Gypsy, made friends with them and learned a lot about their culture,” Sherman said. “I had someone take me into their houses, where the heart of flamenco culture is.”
Freshman Andrew Griggs attended the flamenco demonstration and said it felt like a country line dance, but more elegant.
“There’s a lot of arms, a lot of hips, which I thought was fun,” Griggs said. “It felt very flowy. It felt very prideful, very elegant, sophisticated. I had a blast.”
Lecturer in Spanish Amanda Stechschulte, the faculty representative for Sigma Delta Pi, helped Sherman organize the night.
“We have a thriving Spanish community here at the college,” Stechschulte said. “And it’s really the professors who have been so generous with their time doing things like this, and a very active group of students, very generous with their time.”
Stechschulte said Spanish immersion events like flamenco dance night help invigorate student interest in Spanish culture.
“It makes people a little more excited about Spanish, learning about the culture and actually experiencing the culture,” Stechschulte said. “We’ve had students in Sigma Delta do things like order Iberian ham from Spain. And we go to Lansing to pick up Day of the Dead bread. We try to really get genuine Hispanic culture.”
Sigma Delta Pi will host its Day of the Dead Trivia night on Oct. 30.
Griggs said cultural experiences are not just for people who are living in other countries.
“It’s for people who want to broaden their minds, have fun, and enjoy other things that different people have created,” Griggs said.
