Students will have an opportunity to experience Latino dance, music and fun free of cost at 7 Friday night at the annual Pan-Am Nite.

The event will be held in Meacham Auditorium of Oklahoma Memorial Union.

Glenda Lopez, president of the Pan-American Student Association, said the evening will consist of music and dances from 11 different countries including Guatemala, Costa Rico, Venezuela, Spain, Honduras, Panama, and El Salvador. Latin students will be performing the dances, and Conjunto Clave, a local Latin Jazz band, and Mauricio Torres, a Hispanic rancheras singer, will be providing the music, she said.

"Several different styles of Latino dances will be performed," Lopez said. "We are expecting tango salsa, tambores, and reggae dances and lots of fun music."

She said English and Spanish presentations will be performed.

"It is a great opportunity for our campus to see what our organization does and just have fun," she said.

Lopez said the event is part of the 2001 Latino Achievement and Heritage Celebration.

It is in correspondence with April as Latino Heritage Month, she said.

"Pan-Am Nite is kind of like the first big event," Lopez said. "It is to kind of get things ready for Latino History Month."

An after party and reception will be held at The Mist beginning at 10:30 p.m.

Celania Raimez, co-coordinator of Pan-Am Nite, said this is the group's sixth year to hold the event.

"Each year it is getting bigger and bigger and bigger," she said.

Lopez said this year they have more participation from the members.More members are learning the dances and how they vary, she said.

"There are so many different countries and so many different styles of dances from different countries," she said.

Christina Audas, LAHC adviser, said this event is part of 12 separate events.

They range from cultural nights to speakers, comedy nights and pageants, she said.

"I must say this is a great opportunity for students to experience the richness and variety of the Latino culture," Audas said.


For more information about the Pan-American Student Association, go to www.ou.edu/student/panam.
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