INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Salsa, merengue, bachata and other dances are a major part of Hispanic culture, and the Alexander Coleman Dance Company celebrates culture through Latin fusion.

Culture drives movement inside the dance company, but Dennise Reynoso and Leanne Annaya say the love for dance fuels it.

Annaya said, “I love spreading our culture around. When we spread our culture people love it, and there’s something about it.”

Reynoso said, “I think it’s important because it comes from our culture and our backgrounds, and it’s a really big part of where we come from.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Bellas and Mini Bellas get to work learning new routines inspired by what they feel in their hearts and their souls.

Fallon Coleman said, “When you hear the beats the rhythm, it just makes you want to move.”

Coleman is the dance company’s instructor. Coleman says watching the girls embrace the movements is what the work is about, encouraging them to stand in their culture and create a bridge amongst themselves, but also to expand further by infusing different rhythms, elements of jazz, and even popular social media dances.

Coleman said, “It’s their culture. My students are from different countries, El Salvador, Mexico. Their families are coming from different places and they are here, and so in America this is an opportunity for them to embrace their culture.”

A love for Latin food culture and dance pushed Coleman to create the dance team in 2015. A year later, she created the dance company. As a result, the creation removed fear and created a sisterhood.

Reynoso said, “It was very scary at first, because dancing in a team is different than dancing outside. There’s more technique.”

Annaya said, “When I first joined this dance I was really nervous. I was scared performing in front of a bunch of people, but then, as soon as I started dancing, I felt so much comfortable because I had a big team that made me comfortable.”

Annaya and Reynoso now watch the youngsters find their way. It’s a lesson in culture, and one they call a quite adorable.