Regional Dances of Mexico, Ballet Folklorico has been offered through the Institute for Latino Studies (ILS) for the past two and a half years. It is a class aimed at teaching students steps, techniques, culture, and choreography of post-colonial pieces from the Hidalgo, Sinaloa, and Jalisco regions. Students of all dance backgrounds, even beginners, are encouraged to register for the class.
In order to learn a little more about the class and dances being taught, I popped into one of their class sessions. During this time, I observed students from all different cultural backgrounds coming together to learn and master a dance from the Mexican region of Jalisco. I decided to ask two students some questions about the class in order to get first-hand feedback from the dancers.
When asked why she decided to take the class, Sophie Miller ’27 answered the following: “I used to dance classical ballet when I was younger and when I saw the class offered on PATH, it sparked my interest. I have always wanted to learn dances from different cultures and thought this was the perfect opportunity to do so!”
When asked what his favorite part of taking this class has been so far, Eriberto Gonzalez ’25 said, “I have loved learning these dances with people from so many different backgrounds. It’s also allowing me to connect with my own culture and immersing myself more in my community here on campus.”
A couple of weeks later, I experienced their finished products at Latinx Expressions put on by the Latinx Student Alliance. Their performances were only a few of the many showcasing the variety of talents from different student groups on campus. They even collaborated with the Mariachi class, also offered by ILS, for a crowd-favorite combined performance. It was an incredible experience to first watch the class learn these dances and then to watch them perform their perfected dances at the showcase.
This class continues to grow as more students discover the beauty of ballet folklorico. As mentioned, everyone is welcome and encouraged to register to discover the rich culture behind these regional dances. ILS will offer the course again in Fall 2024.