According to Maria Cabrera, a parent from Jamaica Plain, La Pinata is a community group that centers on folk dance. It pairs Latino Harvard students with neighborhood children for tutoring and mentoring.

"We don't have many Harvard students, we need more," Cabrera said. "The kids feel like they are older brothers and sisters."

The children, from countries as diverse as Brazil, the United States and Colombia, said that dance is a significant part of their lives.

"You know at school sometimes you want to talk and start moving around," said Isabel Hilliard, age seven. "With dancing you can have fun. You can do what you feel like."

"But you have to work hard on it," quipped her friend Juliana Rezende.

Oscar Ramos '01, who heads the Harvard delegation to La Pinata, also leads Ballet Folklorico de Aztlan, one of two Harvard dance groups which performed last night. The group wore southwestern dress for traditional dances such as Me Traes and Pecas from the northern regions of Mexico.

The other Harvard group, Talento Falta ("talent is lacking"), made its world premiere last night. Talento Falta performs more contemporary and popular Mexican and Chicano dance.