The Ballet Folklorico Aztlan de CSUN will present its third annual Folklor de Mexico at the Performing Arts Center Friday.
Performances will include music, dance and theater from various regions of Mexico. The addition of a new region in this year’s performance will remain secret until the night of the show.
The accompanying music and theatrics will be presented in both English and Spanish to help the audience better understand.
“Every year there is one region we perform, Jalisco. It’s our trademark of Mexico,” said Diana Cabral, chair of the Folklor.
Musical performances will highlight the Mexican states of Jalisco, Veracruz, Sonora Bronco, Nayarit and Costa de Sinaloa.
Mariachi Alma de Mexico and Danza Mexica Cuahutemoc will perform these regional Mexican musical numbers.
Preparations for the performance have been underway for seven months. One of the major deadlines for the show was finding sponsors, said Marina Gonzalez, director of the Folklor.
Letters were sent to community groups to attract participants but the show mainly consists of CSUN student performers who volunteer their time for the love of folklore.
The Ballet Folklorico Aztlan de CSUN has performed throughout Southern California, including at elementary and high schools, and even family events like “Quinceanera’s.”
Costumes from past performances are used for the show but new attire costs range between $350-$500 each. Hair and makeup for different regions also must be the same among performers.
“It’s who we are, from the state of Mexico. We want to present the art of Mexico. The theater that we do is called ‘Razcvachi,’ which means ‘whatever you have.’ It’s not elaborate, whatever is in your closet,” Gonzalez said.
People who have seen the show, cannot wait to see the next performance, she added.
“They are in awe, they are mesmerized,” Cabral said.
An emcee is never used on stage because it diverts time away from the performances. It is a “full show with two hours of nothing but entertainment,” said Cabral.
“We use a lot of satire. We’ll poke fun at things going on right now,” and use a bit of stereotyping that they know the audience will relate to, she said.
The show will run Friday night from 7 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $15.
Taline Helwajian can be reached at Tmh70066@csun.edu.
