Ballet Folklorico is a whirlwind of colorful costumes, contemporary and traditional music, precision dance and a limitless flow of energy. Its many styles reflect the blend of Spanish and native cultures present in the Mexican art form.

Performers from Righetti, Santa Maria and Pioneer Valley high schools and Hancock College displayed the color, sounds, rhythms and flavors of Mexican folk dance and music Saturday at Ethel Pope Auditorium in “A Celebration of Mexican Culture.”

“I like the styles,” said Jesus Villegas, a senior at Righetti High in his third year with the dance troupe. “Every region is different.”

The various styles of Ballet Folklorico are as diverse as the geography of Mexico. From the coastal hills and shoreline of Baja California Norte in the north to the dense jungle forests of Yucatan, Folklorico has as many local styles and traditions as there are states.

Each region received a thoughtful and powerful presentation by the student dancers, but it is Jalisco that is most popular with all four dance groups performing a selection.

“Jalisco represents the heart and soul of Mexican folk dance,” said Roberto Gabaldón, director of the Righetti High Folklorico and Marimba Band.

Jalisco sits on the west coast of Mexico and is heavily influenced by Spanish colonization. Big sombreros, traditional charro suits, along with ranchero dresses, Jalisco is the birthplace of the Mexican hat dance.

Cumbia is another style popular with the performers and audiences. Often associated with a courtship dance, the style is native to Colombia.

It’s the style that attracted Mayra Pinón to the group. The Righetti senior lives in Los Alamos, where, as a child, she watched the school’s dance troupe perform at the Old Days parades. Now, she performs in the annual parade.

“I never thought I’d actually be in it, but now I am,” she said of the group and the parade. “I really like the culture in the dance and music. It’s got a lot of movement and energy.”

The history and traditions of Folklorico attracted Pinón’s interest. Gabaldón said that kind of interest in their cultural history tightens family ties, as well as broadens interests.

“It allows the kids a chance to relate to their grandparents when they do traditional dances. It also allows the parents and grandparents to see into their kids’ generations,” he explained.

One particular musical selection — “Nothing at All,” a Carlos Santana tune performed by the Righetti Marimba Band with the vocals of Manny Valencia and Eva Baro — broke from the old Mexican traditions.

The very existence of Ballet Folklorico depends on performers and musicians passing on traditions down through the generations.

Ballet Folklorico in Santa Maria has developed in much the same way.

Gabaldón started the program at Righetti High in 1975 as a portion of the school’s bilingual program. Over the years, the group has performed in school and community celebrations throughout the area. In 1998, the group performed in Mobile, Ala., and in 1999 it performed in Sacramento at the inauguration of Gov. Gray Davis.

The success of Folklorico spread to Santa Maria High and Hancock College in 1991. Pioneer Valley began its program as a club in 2005.

The Santa Maria High troupe has finished in the top three at every competition it has entered since 1995. The group has competed in California, Texas and Oklahoma.

Hancock College’s adoption of the art can be directly traced to Righetti High. Lela Gabaldón and Stacey Garcia, both former Warriors, helped start the Hancock group and currently choreograph for both schools.

November 16, 2009