Ballet Folklorico plans weekend shows
Ballet Folklorico Huehuecoyotl will perform "Raices/Roots" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in the Elgin Community College Visual and Performing Arts Center's Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
With its dazzling costumes and insistent rhythms, it promotes and shares the beauty and culture of Mexico through the art of folkloric dance. With more than 80 members, the group is one of six in-residence ensembles at the ECC Arts Center.
The program goes farther back in time to the older traditional dances, bypassing the more well-known folkloric dances that are commonly performed. It includes several works by the Maestro Rafael Zamarripa Castaneda, director of the Ballet Folklorico de la Universidad de Colima, including "Angeles Prehispanicos," a creation based on the popular pre-Hispanic angel paintings by painter Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo.
Other works of Zamarripa being presented are "Jalisco Antiguo," which returns to the humble beginnings of folkloric dance and "Zacatecas," which demonstrate the popular cuadrillas and Cuban habaneras which were the rage with the silver miners of the time.
Other traditional dances include the "Danza de Negritos," a ritual dance practiced in the state of Veracruz along with a representation of a real Fandango Veracruzano. "Danza de Pardos," the dance of the bird, has the children's group representing a ritual dance practiced in the state of Zacatecas. Contemporary dances to be performed include "Chilenas," from the state of Guerrero and dances from "Colima" done to the well-known music of the Mariachi which has become representative of Mexico.
Ballet Folklorico Huehuecoyotl has modified these dances to bring them to the stage by carefully choosing costumes, lighting and modern dance techniques.
The nonprofit organization was formed in 1996 in an effort to help youths combat the daily temptations they face on the streets by engaging them in a rewarding activity. Its members provide the means to educate youths and the community about Mexican culture. For information, visit the Web site at www.bfh.org.
Advance tickets are $18 for adults; $15 for seniors; and $12 for children 10 and under. Tickets at the door are $20 for adults; $17 for seniors; and $14 for children 10 and under.
Tickets are now available online at www.elgin.edu/arts or at the ECC box office in the Arts Center. Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. To purchase tickets by phone, call (847) 622-0300. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted. For information about the ECC Visual and Performing Arts Center's season, visit www.elgin.edu/arts.