Chicago Latino Dance Festival: October, 12th @ Segundo Ruiz Belvis Center

Created in 2000 by Evaristo Tito Rodriguez, AfriCaribe provides Chicago with a means to celebrate the African influence in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean lands. AfriCaribe seeks to accomplish its mission by developing a performance ensemble utilizing dance, music, theater, and other artistic forms with which to celebrate cultural traditions. While reflecting the influence of other ethnic and cultural groups, AfriCaribe’s primary focal point is the African culture of the Caribbean.

Raíces de mi Tierra’s mission is to represent the different folkloric dances that identify each region of Colombia, exposing the origins and history of each one of them. As part of their social commitment to their national identity, the group intends to represent, educate and carry on the legacy of their country’s traditional dances through generations to come in addition to recognizing the importance of inclusion and diversity within age, gender and persons with disabilities.

For 25 years, Latin Street Dancing has been the premier Latin dance studio and entertainment company in Chicago. Latin Street has cultivated long-standing relationships with some of the industry’s most renowned Latin artists, world-champion dancers, Grammy-nominated producers and musicians, passionate instructors, and DJs allowing them to provide exceptional entertainment for various occasions.

Latin Street MELAO’ Salsa Team: Established in 2017, MELAO stands as the distinguished representative of the Latin Street dance studio. The team has garnered notable acclaim through captivating performances at esteemed events such as the Montreal Salsa Convention, CISC, and the Chicago Salsa Bachata Festival, consistently delivering an infusion of scintillating rhythms and dynamic choreography to the stage.

Latin Street MELAO’ Jr.: Born from the collaboration of Mia Ines Meneses and Tlanextli Sanchez in 2022, Melao' Jr. has swiftly matured into an assembly of emerging talents, primarily of teenagers affiliated with the Latin Street establishment. The team adeptly navigates the realms of both salsa and bachata, effortlessly enthralling audiences with their performances.

Latin Street Rueda Cubanacán de Casino: Inaugurated in mid-2022, the Latin Street Cubanacán Rueda Team stands as the sole and pioneering rueda dance ensemble in the city of Chicago. Renowned for their prowess in choreographed routines, rueda patterns, shines, and unchoreographed ruedas, the team has secured a notable presence at diverse gatherings, including festivals, events, and social dance soirées

Tata Cepeda (born Margarita Sánchez Cepeda) is considered one of the most important and influential Afro-Puerto Rican folklorists of our time. Her grandfather is considered a patriarch of the modern form of bomba and plena, and she began dancing when she was nine years old in the Familia Cepeda group. In 2001, Cepeda founded the Doña Caridad Brenes de Cepeda School of Bomba and Plena, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting music and dance as representative elements of the cultural richness of Puerto Rico. Tata Cepeda has taught Chicago-based youth and teaching artists at Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center in various events and residencies, including the 2017 MacArthur International Connections Fund exchange in Puerto Rico.