Ritmo, known for their explosive energy, powerful music, and Latino-inspired choreography, exhibited their first performance of the school year on September 30, 2025. New co-heads Chloe Yeo ‘26 and Shaleka Maddix ‘26 took the stage before the student body, carrying forward Ritmo’s legacy of celebrating culture through dance.

For both Yeo and Maddix, stepping into leadership positions meant honoring the tradition built by former co-heads Bree Legrand ‘25 and Gabby Brown ‘25. “This is Shaleka’s and [my] first time introducing our choreography to the school,” Yeo explained. “We wanted to create the same impression that Bree and Gabby did—we wanted to wow people. We wanted to show that we are capable of reflecting Ritmo’s value: to celebrate Latinx and Caribbean culture through dance.”

Maddix, who joined Ritmo in the spring of her freshman year, was drawn to the group long before she became a co-head. “I saw how everybody was happy doing it during the fall of my freshman year and how celebrated it was by the school,” she said, “I wanted to be a part of a community like that.”

Behind the seamless school performances lie hours of dedicated rehearsal—from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. “We know we don’t have a lot of time, so we just lock in and get as much done as we possibly can,” Maddix explained. Yeo agreed that balancing rehearsal time with busy student schedules was one of their biggest challenges. “We were working for two weeks,” she said, “our team really pushed through and rallied to learn the choreography as quickly as possible. Especially at the start of the year, when everyone’s schedules are packed, time management is critical.”

As co-heads, Yeo and Maddix were intentional about the music and movement choices in their choreography. “In the first dance, we had salsa and different Latinx and Hispanic moves, and we also made our music choice dependent on that,” Maddix explained. Yeo added that they wanted to reflect the diversity of the Latinx and Caribbean cultures that Ritmo celebrates. “The music is an extremely important part,” she said, “although we didn’t end up using them, we did ask Gustavo [dos Reis ‘26], a Latinx co-head, for Brazilian funk [songs]. Shaleka and I are interested in exploring Latin moves all the way from salsa to bachata—it’s something we want to emulate, the culture of Ritmo.”

Maddix admitted that choreographing wasn’t always easy. “Some of my challenges were not being able to know where to go next—like how to build off a certain dance move,” she said, “but once we figured out the flow, everything started coming together. Seeing everyone finally learn the moves and look so happy after performing makes it all worth it.”

For Yeo, Ritmo has also been a space of discovery and connection. “Ritmo is one of the first places where I felt accepted and felt that cross-cultural appreciation,” she reflected. “I had a lot to learn, and I really appreciate that I learned a part of the culture through dance—something that was already really special to me but became even more meaningful through Ritmo.”

Both co-heads described how rewarding it felt to see their hard work pay off. “I’ve been dancing since I was seven, and just seeing how happy people get when they finally learn the dance moves—or just Ritmo as a community—I love doing that,” Maddix shared.

At the same time, Yeo reflected on how Ritmo’s choreography and performance style are sometimes misunderstood. “If there’s anything that I learned from Bree and Gabby, it’s that if we don’t necessarily worry too much about the entertainment and focus on the cultural values—the fact that dance is supposed to be experimental and fun and flamboyant—then we’re doing something right,” she said. “The bubble of how Ritmo is sometimes perceived, through a misogynistic or objectified lens, should not detract from our values. We want to remind everyone that Ritmo is a group of amazing and empowered people.”

Looking ahead, both Yeo and Maddix hope to continue building on what they say Ritmo represents—a space of joy, empowerment, and cultural pride. “Time management, experimenting with choreography, and building confidence as a leader—all of that has been so valuable,” Yeo said.