The Baile Folklorico club celebrates Hispanic culture and heritage through traditional dances
Photo by Gisella Escobar
The Baile Folklorico club honors heritage through elaborate costumes and artistic dances.
December 24, 2019
This school year has already proven to be an important year for the Baile Folklorico club, as it surpassed the number of members since last year by doubling in size. This has given the group a chance to explore a larger variety of events to perform at. President Diana Ventura (10) and Vice President Angie Velazco (10) have organized several new locations to perform. This includes the halftime show Mrs. Gomez, the school librarian and folklorico instructor, put together with other dance academies at our first home game on Sept. 6.
“This year we have many events including an ELAC show for charity here at Mission Hills, as well as the end of the year Folklorico Festival at the California Center for the Arts. This is a really big deal for us since we get invited to this event every year,” Ventura said.
Along with the performances planned for Folklorico, there are many changes in store for the club as well.
“At this time, we are trying to make our club a class. The reason it hasn’t been a class before is because of the number of people in the club itself. With the new year, we have grown to 26 members. We’re pretty sure that’s enough to make Folklorico a class,” Velazco said.
Folklorico originated in Mexico and the Southern United States, and the dance itself is recognizable by the costumes worn. The women wear colorful, layered dresses that are meant to spread and twirl as they spin on the dance floor. On the other hand, men generally wear black pants, a black wide-brimmed hat, and occasionally opt for a colored tie. The dance provides a handful of bold dances as a traditional Latin American dance that spotlights local folk culture with ballet characteristics.
“Folklorico impacted my life by getting me closer to my Mexican heritage and learning about the different dances from each state,” Ventura said.
Folklorico Club meets every Tuesday and Wednesday in the amphitheater after school and is open to all students. Anyone who joins this club should look forward to being full of energy and warm smiles. Although Folklorico Club lacks the many resources that professional groups have, it is still filled with the excitement, color, and movement that every folklorico group should possess. Folklorico is a beloved Mexican dance and students in the club strive to honor their heritage through meticulous dance moves.
