Celia Cruz's music came to life Tuesday during the cultural celebration of Havana Night. Coordinator, chef, and resident assistant Irina Gorodetskaya satisfied the tastebuds and dancing shoes of a crowd of 15 at the Wilkeson Coffeehouse in Ellicott.
With a blend of Cuban delicacies and salsa music, the participants took away a wealth of knowledge - not to mention a full stomach. Gorodetskaya, a resident assistant in Wilkeson Hall, put the night together as part of the Diversity Program.
"I chose to celebrate Cuba as a country because it has a bad reputation in the United States," said Gorodetskaya, a junior communication and international studies major. "I wanted to show people that you can find positive characteristics in unexpected place if you only care enough to look."
The idea for the event was sparked by Gorodetskaya's acceptance to a study abroad program in Cuba during fall semester 2004 at the University of Havana. The evening was advertised through the campus cable channel.
"The ads caught my eye from the very beginning, and because I'm interested in Cuban life and culture I decided to take part in Havana Night," said Liezl Ca?+/-eda, a senior business major.
The promise of a hearty meal is always a popular attraction at UB events, and Havana Night was no exception. The dinner featured saut?(c)ed garlic shrimp, arroz con pollo (a spicy chicken dish), beans, mussels, yellow rice and pineapple soda.
There was plenty of debate over what dish was the best.
"The chicken entr?(c)e was my favorite," said Rachel Berg, a freshman occupational therapy major. "It was delicious. It tasted like it came from a Spanish restaurant."
"I disagree," said Amanda Castros, a freshman legal studies major, who is partially Cuban. She said she liked the garlic shrimp and spicy yellow rice combination.
"It was to die for," Castros said.
Others came out to support Gorodetskaya's efforts and lend a helping hand.
"Irina was really ambitious about this program. Her passion for it really impressed me," said Kate Crooks, a sophomore psychology major and fellow Wilkeson Hall RA.
After the meal came the instructional part of the night. As the soundtrack to the feature film "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" played, Gorodetskaya taught six female participants and one male basic salsa moves inherent in any Cuban dance. She even gave the first five people to arrive free copies of the CD.
She mentioned that the key to salsa dancing is all in the hips, and started the group swaying back and forth to the heavy beat of the Latin tunes.
Step-by-step, Gorodetskaya showed the amateurs how to execute each move. She counted off the rhythm and demonstrated where arms and feet should be placed, which helped the group follow along and eventually master the techniques.
"I have always loved salsa music, and when you mix greats like Celia Cruz with incredible Spanish cooking here at UB, it reminds me of home in the Bronx," said Juan Rodriguez, a freshman political science major and sole male dancer of the bunch.
His dance partner, junior history major Sara McDermott, said she came to Havana Night not just to dance, but also to support Gorodetskaya.
"We Wilkeson RAs stick together," McDermott said.
Many noted the dance session as the highlight of their night.
"Learning how to dance salsa was definitely the best part of the program - how often will I be able to pick up a skill like that in my life?" Castros said.
At the end of the night, Gorodetskaya reiterated the bigger purpose of the festivities.
"The diversity programs are great not just because it's a fun time, but because it is important that UB students learn to embrace the differences that make each of us unique," she said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
