Sabor Invades Morningside With Its Hot Latin Flavor

A typical dance routine for Sabor Dance Troupe involves arms darting up, bodies spinning, and feet jabbing the floor. But that's just in rehearsal. Sabor, which has been around since 2003, performed most recently at the Second Annual Black Heritage Month Showcase on Feb. 25. Olson Elias Aguirre, CC '07, and Brenda Cepeda, CC '07, co-founded Sabor during their freshman year to highlight diversity among Columbia University students. "Sabor will be for Latinos what Triple-A [Asian American Alliance] is for Asians," Aguirre said.

The group has grown from five active members to about 25. Columbia College, Barnard College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of General Studies all recognize Sabor as an official group. Current president Adela Marieli Aguirre, CC '08 and Olson's sister, and vice president Sabilah Eboo, CC '09, took over administrative duties this semester after Olson Aguirre and Cepeda stepped down to prepare for graduation. Adela Aguirre and Eboo flaunted the group's diversity-members have been Dominican, Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Guyanese, Chinese, Greek, and Australian. Eboo is Indian. Sabor performs dance types such as jazz, Polynesian, modern, South Asian, and classical. For future shows, the group will be adding merengue, Japanese hip-hop, and reggae to its repertoire. "What we do on stage is what everyone does in front of the mirror," Eboo said.

But Sabor is more than just a dance group. The troupe also dedicates its time to community service and uses its funds for its Releve Program, founded in spring of 2006. "Releve" (pronounced "reh-luh-VAY') is a ballet term meaning "to stand on one's toes." The program was started as part of the founders' goal to improve the New York City community. The Releve Program is geared toward underprivileged students who have an interest in higher education. Members of Sabor organize events to introduce these students to the college application process, as well as to the nature of life in college, independent from parents. Releve also offers workshops in dance, music, poetry, and vocal work. This year, the program takes place in March. Sabor members go to high schools to recruit students for the program. Though there is an application process, the program is free.

Accepted students, residents of Harlem, Morningside Heights, Washington Heights, and Long Island, stay with Sabor members at the Columbia campus for three days, in which the members introduce the high schoolers to Columbia admissions and financial aid officers. Aguirre and Eboo said that many of the students of last year's Releve program began the three-day weekend as shy and quiet, but, by the end-of-program reception, they had made many new friends. They, and Olson Aguirre, keep in touch with students who participated last year, some of whom Olson Aguirre has helped with college applications. The students have already applied to, and are awaiting replies from, universities, including Columbia. Adela Aguirre and Eboo said that, in regard to the class of 2011, "We hope to see some familiar faces next year."