Afro-Latin Dance Heats Up Prospect Heights Campus

Despite the November chill, Afro-Latin dance troupe Abakuá made a Prospect Heights school stage sizzle Monday night.

The performance was part of Abakuá's Tour of Schools, an effort to inject arts education into underserved schools in New York City, and the first show in Brooklyn. Free tickets were available to students, parents, administrators and local residents, who filled much of the beautiful auditorium at The International High School at Prospect Heights.

"You don't expect a performance like this at a local high school. They've performed at Lincoln Center," said Marlene Veras, 27, a local resident and salsa dance instructor in Brooklyn. "It's a gift."

The first piece, "Children of the Groove," opened gently with the theme of birthing, then revved into an explosive roar of salsa music. Sharp, heavy angles broke into quick-stepping, twirling partner work, mid-air corkscrew spins and jazzy footwork.

 "The Life and Death of Suzy Q" was infused with boogaloo – a dance and music style that was popular in the 1960s.  The dance was a fusion of Puerto Rican and Cuban mambo with African American doo-wop.  In bright costumes that flared at the leg, the dancers recreated the ambiance and vibe of night clubs, and contrasted a flurry of salsa dance with the body waves, accented by lyrically complex, genre-straddling rhythms.

Frankie Martinez, the founder and artistic director, leads the troupe in exploring salsa and Afro-Latin dance, while adding narrative aspects to it. Martinez is one of the most sought-after dance instructors in salsa dance worldwide.

The performance coincided with the unveiling of a new dance studio at The International School at Prospect Heights.