Vamos al baile!

FlipSide photos by EMILY BARKSDALE/ST MARYS HIGH SCHOOL

A dancer performs a pre-Columbian Aztec customary dance during “Ollipaxqui,” a Mexican ballet.

By Emily Barksdale
St. Marys High School

In October, Spanish III and Dance I classes from St. Marys High School traveled to Nitro to attend a touring performance of Ballet Folklorico Mexicano - “Ollimpaxqui.” The one hour and 15 minute show consisted of Aztec ritual dances and other traditional regional Mexican songs and dances. It concluded with an interactive sing-along and dance.

“Ollimpaxqui” means “joyful movement” in Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs), and the dancers certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves as they kicked, jumped and moved to the music.

“The dancers were very lively, which made it that much more exciting,” said Danny Fleegle, a junior Spanish III student.

The performance began with a pre-Columbian Aztec customary dance and then moved on to other native area dances, complete with bright, vivid, realistic costumes. Throughout the show, the dance company tried to educate everybody about each dance by announcing it in both English and Spanish and explaining the traditions and costumes.

A dancer wears a mask from the Mexican region of Michoacan.

“The costumes were very beautiful and colorful. They seemed quite authentic,” said dance teacher Melissa Nichols.

After the native dances, two men performed the “Deer Dance” from the Mexican state of Sonora. The dance illustrates the struggle between a deer and a coyote, two important symbols of the Mayo and Yaqui Indian tribes of Sonora.

Next, everybody danced the “Bamba” from Veracruz while two members of the company tied a ribbon into a bow with their feet. As a final feature, the dancers presented a dance from the state of Jalisco while balancing lit candles on their heads.

“I think it was wonderful,” said Spanish teacher Toni Sutton. “They presented the dances quite well.”

Towards the end of the show, several dancers entered the stage wearing masks from Michoacan. The announcer explained their costumes and invited them to present their own regional dance. After the dancers performed, they called audience members on stage to teach them the dance. Then, they paraded around the auditorium before exiting.

Many of the dances, like the one at top, were native dances from particular Mexican regions. The Deer Dance is an important traditional dance in Sonora.

To close the show, members of the dance company invited audience members on stage once more to participate in “El Baile Loco” and “El Macarena.” At the end of the performance, the dancers received a standing ovation. Afterward, they thanked everybody for coming and made themselves available for pictures.

“I think both the dance and Spanish students got a lot of educational value out of it,” Sutton said.

“I think they enjoyed it,” Nichols added. “It was a good experience for them to see a variety of dances, especially from a different culture.”

Instead of returning to watch another performance next year, though, Sutton said, “I would really be interested in trying to find out how to host it at this school so that all of my Spanish kids and maybe people in the community would be able to see it.”