From a Puerto Rican salsa to an African step dance, cultures around the world were represented at the annual multicultural celebration at PS 299 in Bushwick. More than 400 parents, siblings and community members filled the auditorium to see students perform in 12 dances, each representing a different culture within the PS 299 community. “We have students from many different cultures and we wanted to give a flavor for each culture through a dance,” said Amelia Flores, a speech teacher. Along with 24 other teachers at PS 299, Flores serves on the school’s multicultural committee, which is headed by 4th-grade teacher Jason Cotto. Nearly 400 students in kindergarten through 5th grade participated in the show. To prepare, teachers volunteered to rehearse with students after school and during lunch. “Everyone had a role. Even if they were not dancing, they were in the background holding a musical instrument,” said Flores. Audience members clapped, cheered and even leapt to their feet as students took the stage in colorful costumes, from pink flowered skirts for a calypso dance from Trinidad to feathered masks for a Brazilian samba. Because many PS 299 students are from Latin American cultures, dances from Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic were particularly well-received by the audience. “It brought them back to their country,” said Flores. “There were a lot of smiles, not only in the audience but on the performers’ faces.”