A Spicy Group

Sultry dance steps, explosive colors, and south-of-the-border rhythms take center stage at today’s Latino Heritage Day celebration at the Rock Hall. “Latin culture has made so many valuable contributions to music,” says the museum’s curator, Howard Kramer. “It’s intrinsically tied to rock and roll -- as well as to rhythm and blues, soul, and hip-hop. Nothing exists independently in music.”

Instructors from the Ballet Folklorico Imagenes Mexicanas of Northwest Ohio will show you how to bust some serious salsa moves. El Corazon de Mexico will demonstrate more than 30 of its country’s traditional dances. And other folk-and-rock-en-español artists will perform sizzling songs from their homeland. “It’s a celebration of the Latino Spanish-speaking world -- every ethnic group within the diaspora,” says Kramer, who points out that Cleveland has one of the most rapidly growing Latino communities in the nation. Visitors can also check out art, jewelry, and crafts inspired by Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Spanish cultures. It’s all designed to give Clevelanders a taste of one of its most diverse ethnic communities. “People tend to forget that America is a country of immigrants,” he says. “We live in a community of many peoples. It’s a wonderful thing to celebrate.”
Sun., Aug. 26, 4 p.m.