A packed house at the El Verano Community School gathering hall enjoyed Así Danzan Los Niños – This Is the Way the Children Dance – the end of school-year show presented on June 7 by Grupo Folklórico Quetzalén. Quetzalén is under the direction of Executive Director Víctor Ferrer, who is also Co-Creative Director with Vanessa Carrillo. The program teaches students the art of Mexican folkloric dance. Participants in this longstanding program not only learn the dances, music, and traditional costumes that represent Mexico’s diverse cultural heritage, but also have frequent opportunities to perform at community events throughout Sonoma County.
Classes are held throughout the entire school year (44 weeks), with after-school rehearsals three days a week at El Verano Elementary School, 18606 Riverside Drive. The program is open to all Sonoma Valley Unified School District students in grades TK-12, with classes organized by age group.
Quetzalén’s partnership with the Sonoma Valley Unified School District provides dance instruction to families at no cost, removing a significant financial barrier that often prevents students from participating in private arts education.
Located at El Verano Elementary School, the program is easily accessible to families living in El Verano, Agua Caliente, and the Springs – areas with some of the highest concentrations of low-income and BIPOC families in Sonoma Valley. These neighborhoods are also geographically farther from many of the cultural opportunities available in Sonoma’s downtown area.
The program is taught bilingually in English and Spanish and provides a safe, welcoming environment where students can celebrate their cultural heritage while developing confidence, discipline, teamwork and artistic expression.
All photos by Photography by Genesis
Main Photo: Four-year-old Camila Vargas performs on stage for the first time. This dance is from the state of Yucatán, México.
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