10/28/2020 Los Danzantes presents ‘Christmas in Mexico’ for 31st time – Fresno State News
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LOS DANZANTES PRESENTS ‘CHRISTMAS IN MEXICO’ FOR31ST TIME
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For the 31st year, Los Danzantes de Aztlán, Fresno State’s folkloricMexican dance troupe, will present “Christmas in Mexico” from
4 to 6p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8
, at the
Satellite Student Union
.
The show began with the idea of combining two popular Mexican culturalelements – Las Posadas, a traditional Latin American depiction of Josephand Mary seeking shelter for the birth of baby Jesus – along withtraditional music and dance.
The late professor Ernesto Martinez combined the two elements toproduce the positive, family-oriented, cultural show at Fresno State.
“The show is one of the key productions of Los Danzantes de Aztlán andwas the rst show of its kind in the Central Valley,” said Victor Torres,
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ARCHIVES10/28/2020 Los Danzantes presents ‘Christmas in Mexico’ for 31st time – Fresno State News
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director of the dance group. “As other groups came to existence, theyfollowed in this tradition and now have their own Christmas/winter show.”
Torres began directing and producing the show in 1997 but remembershis involvement with “Christmas in Mexico” 22 years ago. The show, hesays, made him feel at home:
“I still vividly recall my rst show in 1996. The mood and ambience waswelcoming and familiar. It had the sense of a community gathering. Thepeople were excited and they reminded me of my own family. I could seemy own parents, even my abuelitos (grandparents), in the audience.”
It was an experience Torres wanted to share with the community for yearsto come. In addition to Los Danzantes de Aztlán, he invites local highschool and Fresno City college programs to participate.
“The goal here is to expose them and to inspire them to attend FresnoState. Their participation in the show has a positive impact on these youngstudents,” Torres said. “Many of my current dancers participated in theshow while in high school or at Fresno City College.”
The show is performed in the Satellite Student Union, which seats 880people, but the past few years, there’s been a full house in attendanceand people have been asked to stand. Torres’ most memorable show isthat of last year when, for security reasons and in an attempt to geteveryone into a seat, the music was stopped in the middle of aperformance.
“Last year, due to over-crowding, the theater shut-o the music while mydancers were performing on stage. Not to be deterred, and displayinggreat condence and professionalism, they continued to dance a cappella– much to the enjoyment of the audience, which cheered and applaudedwildly and loudly.”
While there are some o-campus options, Torres wants to keep theperformance on-campus because his goal is to bring the community tothe university. He wants parents and their children to physically set footon campus and think about the possibility of one day being enrolled atFresno State.
Torres is humbled by his dancers’ dedication and professionalism becausethey not only perform, but they help organize and coordinate the event.Their work begins in August recruiting new undergraduates and preparingthem for the show with up to four rehearsals a week. A strong proponentof mentoring, Torres includes his students in most of the planning so theycan develop planning and organizational skills that translate to theprofessional world.
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10/28/2020 Los Danzantes presents ‘Christmas in Mexico’ for 31st time – Fresno State News
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By
Lucero Benitez
|
December 6th, 2018
|
Categories:
PRESS RELEASES
|
Tags:
Christmas in Mexico
,
College of Social Sciences
,
event
,
Fresno State
,
Los Danzantes
,
Victor Torres
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“As I stand at the podium and see a full house, and see the president,several college deans and fellow faculty and sta colleagues, I am in awe. Ithink about all the hard work and the sacrices my students and I made. Ithink about how hard my students worked to help make this happen.”
At the end of the show, Torres hopes the audience walks away with agreater appreciation for folkloric dance as an art form, Mexican culturaltraditions, and a greater appreciation and respect for Los Danzantes deAztlán as artists and professionals. He wants the community to feel andknow that they are welcomed on campus and that there is a program thatpromotes a positive self-identity for Latino students.
Tickets are $10 presale, $12 at the door and $5 for Fresno State students.Parking on campus is free on weekends.
The show is sponsored by the Department of Chicano and Latin AmericanStudies and the
College of Social Sciences
with support fromthe
Instructionally Related Activities Grant
by the
Associated Students Inc
.
For more information, contact Dr. Victor Torres, Chicano and LatinAmerican Studies professor and Los Danzantes director, at 559.278.4115or
losdanzantesdeaztlan@gmail.com
.
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10/28/2020 Los Danzantes presents ‘Christmas in Mexico’ for 31st time – Fresno State News
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