Just over a week into starting their new school, with very little Spanish yet understood, Noah and Tobin were asked to perform with their classes the national chilean dance – the cueca- in a 3 hour celebration of Fiestas Patrias (Chilean Independence Day).
The month prior to our arrival, the entire school was preparing for their independence day. Unlike the United States, Fiestas Patrias is not just a day off with fireworks and a BBQ but a day/weekend to really celebrate both the country’s history and independence. The last 4 weeks had been spent making costumes, learning to perform the traditional music on instruments and most importantly mastering the dance for each grade.
So from the moment Noah and Tobin arrived at school they began attending dance classes in school. When they returned from school each day, they pulled up their music on spotify and practiced. The boys quickly picked up the moves and spent lots of time laughing and smiling at what school was all about in Chile. But the magic of this experience was - they had to dance, in their first moments as students at their new Spanish speaking school. When they did not speak the language, all they needed to understand was the language of creativity and risk.
The motto of the school that the boys are attending is-
“la creatividad is nuestra forma de hacer y pensar.” - Creativity is our way of doing and thinking. And this was exactly what they experienced!
It was a wonderful introduction to school and a simple reminder, on how easy it is to connect with people, when we take a small risk and dance together.