Ensamble Folklorico

SHS students join a traditional Mexican dance group

Contributed by Jessica Mayorga

Junior Jessica Mayorga lines up with her dance group on Sept. 24 in Lafayette City parks and recreation department. They performed two different types of dances called Azteca and Veracruz.

Junior Evelynn Garcia remembers watching a video before her performance, attempting to run through the dance in her head. She was nervous to the point she wanted to cry, but knew that despite mistakes, she had to keep dancing under those bright lights.

“I was getting ready to cry because this was a new thing I was doing,” Garcia said, “and if I did bad, then I couldn’t just stop.”

She’s a part of a traditional dancing group called Ensamble Folklorico that her friend, junior Jessica Mayorga, introduced her to.

Garcia was not sure about joining the group after the first practice, but she found herself having more fun as she started getting into it. She had the desire to share her culture. 

Mayorga has seen the group before because of her mom’s personal connection with the trainer, which sparked her interest in joining. 

“I saw them dancing and I was like, ‘I wish I could do that, it looks so fun and pretty,’” Mayorga said.

The practices had been mixed around at first but slowly became everyday practices. The group could practice for long durations depending on how intense the practice is and when  the next performance will be. Sometimes, practice would start at nine in the morning and end at six.

Mayorga and Garcia didn’t have the same experiences with their first performance, but both girls felt the music as soon as they stepped on stage. 

With the close relationship and tight-knit support between the group, they got through the performances.

“We all get along pretty well. It’s honestly really fun to be together,” Garcia said, “we all love to joke around,”

Mayorga uses sonajas, an instrument, during her performance on Sept. 24. She said the music was hard to hear because of the bells. (Contributed by Jessica )