Celebrating a "Primavera Mexicana"

Laredo, Texas, the home of Texas A&M International University, hosts a wonderful blend of cultures. This mix includes the Mexican culture, and it houses rich traditions that bring color and life to a custom way of living.
On the nights of April 23 and 24, the Ballet Folklorico Club of Texas A&M International University presented "Primavera Mexicana." The performance, which lasted about an hour and a half, featured several time-honored Mexican dances. The performers, along with their director Sandra Leal, presented various traditional dances from several regions of Mexico.
The weekend was a product of long prac tices, bruised knees, and sweaty foreheads, but, to the dancers, it was all well worth it.
Nancy De La Fuente, TAMIU senior and Ballet Folklorico president, suffered various injuries and accidents both on and off stage.
"I broke the heel of my boot, which is something that has never happened to me, and ribbons were falling off my hair. I was totally in pain after the two performances were over," confessed De La Fuente, admitting she would do it all over again because of her love of folklorico.
Jessica Serna-Villanueva, a TAMIU staff member and dance aficionada, attended the event. "The performances were amazing and colorful," stated Serna-Villanueva,
"TAMIU's Ballet Folklorico outdid themselves and brought life to ancient dances."
From "La Bruja" to a ritual dance in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the performance covered almost every region's dance.
The group integrated traditional costumes, props, choreography, music, and customs to their performance, using the performance as an opportunity to educate audiences.
To many, to be able to dance ballet folklorico is a privilege, a way to honor tradition. De La Fuente recognizes that family pushed her into dancing. "My mom danced Ballet Folklorico when she was in school and she always wanted me to try it," admits De La Fuente. Unable to join the ballet folklorico club in high school, De La Fuente finally seized the opportunity when she arrived at TAMIU.
For some of the dancers, the emotional essence of the event was what made it so special. Specifically, De La Fuente experienced her last performance this past weekend with tears in her eyes, revealing, "This performance was bittersweet, and I cried as soon as I finished my last dance." The love that she felt from her family who attended the event also helped to make this performance exceptional.
TAMIU's Ballet Folklorico sets up many events throughout the year, each one different in its own way.
Serna-Villanueva, who also attended "Festival Folklorico" at the beginning of the semester, claims that the setup was what made it different from previous performances. "The other performances included other groups of ballet folklorico dancers, and this time it was only TAMIU's dancers performing for Laredo," adds Serna-Villanueva.
TAMIU Ballet Folklorico will continue to offer many performances within the upcoming year, celebrating the rich Mexican traditions that surround the Gateway City. "Primavera Mexicana" was one of those performances.

(Alyson Martinez may be reached at alyson1007@
dusty.tamiu.edu)