Sisy Mohorko / The SWC Sun
Ballet Folklorico is a little bit Russia, a little bit France and entirely Mexican.
Now Southwestern College is opening the spinning, festive dance style to the people
of the world. Before the world shows up, though, the Southwestern College Ballet Folklorico Dance Club is hoping for students from our multiracial campus to give it a whirl.
Dance instructor Andrea Hasson rolled out the welcome marley to the entire student body.
“Our club is designed to be multiracial and open to everyone on campus,” she said. “It’s our goal to share Mexican culture and celebrate it through the art of dance. We would like to grow the program so that more people can come out and learn about ballet folklorico and about our Mexican traditions.”
Ballet Folklorico is an 80-year-old form that combines dance traditions from all 32 Mexican states. It is athletic and colorful, percussive and elegant, festive and meaningful. Hasson said she would like to recreate the original inclusivity of ballet folklorico at its creation in the spirit of the former’s creator Amalia Hernandez.
Ballet Folklorico burst across Mexico in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It is performed at regal palaces and homemade stages in rural areas and rain forests. It has borrowed from other global dance styles along the way, Hasson said.
“I just love the way that that fusion makes it so much more elevated,” she said.
Hasson said she would like to influence Southwestern College dance students the way her teachers inspired her.
“My community dance teachers from when I was a little girl were great,” she said. “Rosalia Rodriguez in San Ysidro was an inspiration. So was Mr. Carlos Antoyo at Chula Vista High School, my high school teacher.”
Grecko Valdivia, co-president of the Southwestern College Ballet Folklorico Club, said the club is about learning, having fun and spreading positivity.
“The club is important to me because it gives me the freedom and safe space to dance,” he said. “I want the same for others. I want people to feel like they can let go and embrace themselves through dance.”
Alexandra Arellano, a business administration major, also said he loves to dance.
“It is a very safe space for any dancer who wants to try something new,” she said. “This club is very beginner friendly. Dancers teach each other. It’s a community.”
Arellano said she loves the idea that Ballet Folklorico Club members have a shared interest and a place to make new friends.
“I am so fortunate to be with such a great group of people and an amazing teacher,” she said. “The first show I ever did with them was the Mariachi Summit and it is a core memory for me now.”
Ballet Folklorico will host a showcase performance May 7 in the Performing Arts Center.
