Registration open for Ballet Folklorico de Durango community dance group

New classes for traditional Mexican Folklorico dances begin Monday, Jan. 9 at 5:30 p.m., and enrollment is open to anyone interested. Ballet Folklorico de Durango is a community performing arts dance group.

Students must be at least 5 years of age, and the cost for enrollment is $60 per semester with Fort Lewis College students’ fees waived, and scholarship assistance available for all others. Registration forms are available at El Centro, or online at www.fortlewis.edu/elcentro and can be returned to El Centro at Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Dr., Durango CO 81301 or brought to the first day of class.

Ballet Folklorico de Durango is offered by El Centro de Muchos Colores Hispano Resource Center at FLC. The goal of this cultural arts dance group is to promote pride in Mexican heritage as well as provide a seamless mentorship pipeline for regional students grades K-20.  All dancers learn basic footwork, dance choreography and performance etiquette, as well as the history and the traditional Folklorico dances of various states throughout Mexico in a fun and supportive environment.

Classes are held weekly on Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m. at El Centro, located on the ground floor on the Student Union building across from the bookstore. Registration for a full semester is required, performances can be optional.

Ballet Folklorico de Durango is generously supported by Jerry Martinez at CJ’s Diner and Lourdes Carrasco, as well as grant support from Brennan Oil and LPEA. To support the sustainability of this program’s student scholarships, please make your donations to FLC Foundation with Ballet Folkorico in the memo.

Please direct any questions to El Centro de Muchos Colores Coordinator, Shirena Trujillo Long (970) 247-7290, long_s@fortlewis.edu.

About our Instructors: Instructors for spring 2017 semester are Melisa Smith and Veronica Flores. Smith was born and raised in Durango, graduating from DHS in 2007 and from FLC in 2012. She has studied Folklorico dance since she was a child and is a member of a nonprofit to serve underrepresented students called Del Alma (then DLEC). 

Flores is a 2014 high school graduate from Albuquerque, N.M., and a junior at FLC studying forensic psychology. She too studied Folklorico and was deeply impacted by the music, history and costumes of the traditional Folklorico dance.