Me gusta bailar
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KATEY
The September sun was glaring in my face, but I did not find it as intimidating as I had four years ago. I walked out with our group composed of old and new members for the Yucatan dance we had been rehearsing for a month. With each bittersweet step at my last Fiesta on the Mesa, I realized that I’d grown immensely in confidence from the “freshman who could not dance” who decided to try something new in college.
Ballet Folklorico is a genre of dance developed in Mexico City during the 1950’s. Each Mexican state has a designated costume and steps that correlate to the region’s diverse culture. Our group performs pieces from several states including Jalisco, Veracruz, Chiapas, Durango, Yucatan, and Baja California. While I love each dress individually, my favorite is the black Chiapas dress with delicate and colorful floral embroidery!
I first heard of Club Ballet Folklorico de Fort Lewis College at El Centro’s open house which coincided with my first afternoon of college. I was homesick for New Mexico and spontaneously decided to attend. I arrived to a room full of people speaking Spanish and the best enchiladas! Then Kathy, the president of the group, performed and advertised the group. I asked if she would be willing to teach me (a bona fide klutz with no dance experience) and four weeks later, I danced the same piece in front of 400 people at Fiesta on the Mesa 2010. Since then, I have been a proud member of the dance group!
Over the past three years, I have had opportunities to perform at several campus events, the high school in Ignacio, and last November, a meaningful performance in Aztec, New Mexico! I now have dance moves that I displayed in Botswana, Ecuador, and at a summer camp in Montana! The summer before my junior year, my family came up for a weekend and saw me perform for the first time. I hope one day I can perform in Albuquerque so more loved ones can see Ballet Folkorico.
More importantly, dancing enabled me to be a part of El Centro de Muchos Colores. I am not Hispanic, but “The Center of Many Colors” serves as my New Mexico on campus. There are countless occasions where a quick visit to El Centro turns into an hour for me due to conversations, Spanish practice, celebrations, or delicious food! When I am homesick, I sit in El Centro and gaze at two watercolor paintings depicting the Sandias overlooking a cornfield and luminarias at Christmas time. I feel that Club Ballet Folklorico and El Centro are my family here in Durango and I could not picture my college experience without them. I will sincerely miss the community when I graduate, but for now I plan to dance as often as possible!