Stomping and swirling in a rainbow of color and movement, Grupo Folklor de Mexico wowed the standing room only crowd at the Milliken Auditorium Friday evening.
The local 12-member troupe presented El Ballet Folklorio, a program of traditional Mexican dances plus three dances from Columbia, including a salsa. Puerto Rico native Miriam Pico sang three songs during the concert, accompanying herself on the guitar. The narrators introduced each number in both Spanish and English.
Debuting for the public with this event, Grupo Folklor de Mexico also danced for members of St. Joseph's Catholic Church Sunday. Members, who range in age from 7 to adult and hail from Traverse City, Suttons Bay and Buckley, are already fielding requests for more shows in the region.
"We did have fun, it was tough but fun and we want to do more," said Lorena Ramirez, a founding member of the group. "I think the physical part was the hardest because none of us were in shape when we started — it's good because we get the exercise."
Praising the group for their enthusiasm and energy, Lisa Blackford, diversity services coordinator at Northwestern Michigan College, said the program's intent was to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month and also mark Mexican Independence Day, September 16. On that date in 1810, the Mexicans wrested their independence from Spain.
"The combination was good timing," she said, adding of the standing room only crowd: "I've never had anything that was so well attended."
Group members, all of whom were born in Mexico, relished the chance to share and celebrate their Heritage with the community.
"We're so far from home and we want people to learn about our culture, it's something positive," said Javier Nuno, a student at Northwestern Michigan College. "It gives us something for us to do as a community."
Six dancers, or three couples, began meeting informally as a youth group affiliated with the Diocese of Gaylord. They participated in a performance at the former Leelanau Memorial Hospital during a Cinco de Mayo celebration and were invited back the next year. These enthusiastic receptions sparked a thirst to learn more dances and Grupo Folklor de Mexico was born. The group, which added more members in the past year, now practices regularly in the basement of St. Francis Church.
In fact, they just completed a blitz of rehearsals to get ready for this weekend's shows, finalizing numbers, music and costumes for an hour-long show.
"We're going to have to start meeting regularly so at the last minute we don't have to work so hard," said Ramirez, a nursing student at Northwestern Michigan College, noting the group met almost daily for six weeks to practice three or four hours. "It's a big commitment, people have to give up a lot of things."
The high intensity show showcased numerous elaborate, handmade traditional costumes for both male and female dancers. Full-length dresses with wide skirts adorned the women during most of the couples dances, which included a Mexican polka and other traditional folk dances. "Prende La Vela" from Columbia was a high-energy piece that featured grass skirts and non-stop action by three women in the troupe.
The two youngest dancers in Grupo Folklor de Mexico are Patricia Nuno, 7, and Jessica Paniagua, 9. The friends danced a duet entitled Las Chiapanecas while wearing ribbon-festooned, full-length gowns. Both enthusiastic dancers, the girls welcome the chance to celebrate their heritage and are eager to master more pieces.
"I learned a lot of them in school in Mexico," said Paniagua.