The Latin American Student Association puts on Reventon annually, to demonstrate the talents and cultures of Georgetown students.
On Saturday, March 21, the Latin American Student Association, in partnership with the Reventon Latino Board, will give students a little taste of another culture. From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., these organizations will host their ninth edition of Reventon.
Reventon is an annual exhibition of Latin American dances and traditions, choreographed entirely by students, to showcase the many cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean. This year, over three hundred students are participating in the event, the most to date. The number of people involved reflects
Reventon’s increased popularity in recent years. Nancy Hinojos (SFS ’15), co-chair of the Reventon Board, has served on the board since her sophomore year. Since her first experience with Reventon, she has seen positive changes and growth.
“Reventon has earned a brand on campus. Hoyas are becoming more aware of Reventon as a really loved [cultural] showcase on Georgetown’s campus,” Hinojos said.
A large cause of Reventon’s growth in popularity lies in its inclusive nature. Although it primarily celebrates Latino culture and tradition, all are invited to participate.
“The beauty of Reventon is that the dancers are not exclusively Latin American or Latinos, so we are really touching on a huge swath of the campus community,” Esteban Garcia (SFS ’15), co-director of communications for Reventon, said.
This inclusiveness, plus extensive outreach and fundraising efforts this year, have helped propel Reventon to become a must-see staple for all Georgetown students.
The ultimate goal of Reventon is to educate its audience and members on Latin American cultures, primarily through dance.
“Reventon is a cultural exchange,” Kimberly Portes (COL ’16) said.
It is meant to give the Latino community a visible platform at Georgetown, and most importantly, reflect the complexity and diversity that exists under the broad and often problematic label of “Latino culture.”
Viviana Jaramillo (MSB ’15) echoed this sentiment.
“One of the biggest lessons is that Latin America isn’t just one big group of people that all talk the same, dress the same or dance the same, but rather that each country has something different to offer,” Jaramillo said. “[Reventon is] a beautiful night to let go of stereotypes and to learn about our neighbors and the similarities and differences we share with them.”
The purpose of Reventon is to teach, but instead of simply lecturing to the audience on the vast range of cultures present in Latin America and the Caribbean, Reventon shows cultures and traditions in motion, literally. The concept is to create a fun, lively environment through dance, which in turn lends itself to a better understanding of Latin American cultural diversity.
Students perform numerous genres of dance such as salsa, cumbia, reggaeton and bachata, in addition to many others. Such a wide range of dances means participants and audience members alike can learn new things and have existing presumptions about Latin American culture flipped on their head.
“Some of my friends learned for the first time that Cumbia was actually born in Colombia not Mexico, and that it was adopted differently in Mexico and was then transformed into Tex-Mex by Selena,” Jaramillo said.
It is this kind of educational experience that participants in Reventon seek to create. It is learning that happens organically and willingly in an enjoyable environment.
It should be noted that though this year’s Reventon has the same mission of education, there are some features that distinguish it from past years. Most noticeable is its move from autumn to spring this year. In an acknowledgement of this change, the theme for this year is Carnaval, a celebration that takes place in many Latin American countries in early spring. Another major difference is the addition of spoken word acts, which will provide a portal through which students can better understand what it means to be Latino/a at Georgetown.
This is an interesting development from past years. It shows an effort to look at cultural sensibility at both a micro and macro level and everywhere in between — in the broad context of Latin America to individual countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to Georgetown itself. These changes should make for an innovative show that will be exciting and informative, even for students who have experienced Reventon before.
Aligning with Reventon’s mission of education is its simultaneous commitment to the community. A portion of the proceeds from this year’s show, as in past years, will go towards a charity of the board’s choosing. This year, Reventon has partnered up with the nonprofit student-run organization GlobeMed to raise funds for Primeros Pasos.
“Primeros Pasos is a health clinic for women and children in rural Palajunoj Valley, Guatemala. It focuses on the intersection of education, nutrition and equitable access to care,” Dianna Abreu (NHS ’16), co-president of GlobeMed, said.
According to GlobeMed’s executive board, the proceeds from Reventon will go a long way toward curbing high rates of malnutrition and parasitemia in the region through direct medical interventions and education program development.
Since its inception in 2006, Reventon has brought Latin American cultures and traditions to Georgetown. Now, almost 10 years later, Reventon 2015 looks set to continue the trend of improvement and excellence. It will mix tried and true practices from the past, but it will also be set apart both in content and an unprecedented level of participation. After dedicating over two months in preparation, members are ready to put on a great show and have their hard work pay off.
“It’s always incredibly rewarding to see the finished products of each Reventon Board member, each choreographed dance piece and now spoken word. I am happy doing the work because I can see the positive and meaningful impact that it has on the greater Georgetown community,” Hinojos said.
Reventon will take place on Saturday, March 21 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. It will be located in the GU Hotel Ballroom. Tickets can be purchased online.
