ABOUT USSabrosura, Duke University's Premier Latin Dance Troupe, is a student-run, student-choreographed, and student-developed dance group that specializes in salsa, merengue, bachata, cha cha, samba, tango, and flamenco, among others. Our presence on campus extends from our end-of-the-year showcase to guest performances in other dance group's showcases, DIYA's Awaaz, Mi Gente's Mezcla, Asian Students Association's Lunar New Year, and performances around campus and throughout the Durham area.
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OUR HISTORY
Sabrosura, an energetic twist on the Spanish word for "flavor", is a student-led performance group that came to fruition in the Fall of 2000 through the vision of two exceptional Duke alumni: Denise Pozzerle and Jeannette Ocampo. As former president of Mi Gente (Duke's Latino Student Association) Ms. Pozzerle took to the task of forming an unofficial team of dancers from amongst the organization's general body in order to accommodate the growing number of requests received from outside sources for a more comprehensive showcase of Latin American culture at Duke. It was also hoped the experience would provide students with a unique opportunity to improve their dancing abilities while intermingling in a lively environment. The team was named Sabrosura, and after a series of successful on-campus performances, Ms. Pozzerle was approached by freshman Jeannette Ocampo with the idea of steering the group onto a more structured path. Ms. Ocampo offered to instruct the members in Rueda de Casino, a style of salsa that originated in Havana, Cuba during the 1960s. In the Spring of 2001, after only fifteen days of rehearsals, Sabrosura was invited to perform for the very first time in Page Auditorium. As fate would have it, Sabrosura was honored for its efforts with a front-page feature in the Chronicle on the subsequent day. The rest, as they say, is history.