06 Mar Dancing to Preserve Tradition: Pittsburg Youth Uphold Folklórico Legacy

Dancers celebrated Mexican culture and Pittsburg history at Folklórico Extravaganza on Friday at Willow Cove Elementary.

Story and photos by Denis Perez-Bravo

The preservation of identity came to life one evening in Pittsburg as an art form known as folklórico weaved together centuries of culture and tradition through dance.

Folklórico — a collective term for types of dances from different regions of Mexico that combine elements of ballet and local folk culture — was on stage March 1 at Willow Cove Elementary School.

The vibrant rhythm of music and dance echoed through an auditorium filled with more than 400 people paying to attend the first Folklórico Extravaganza hosted by Pittsburg High School Folklórico Group.

 

“It is all about culture,” said Tezol Tlahui Gonzalez, a Pittsburg High senior and folklórico dancer. “To be able to come together as a group and as a family, and celebrate, not just the dance but the music all at once, has been very beautiful to me.”

Alongside her peers that night, Gonzalez ran the technical side of the show like slideshows, TV graphics and the sound system.

“To be able to create such a big event like this takes a lot of planning, so it creates a lot of skills for us youth,” Gonzalez said.

With all of the chairs filled in Willow Cove’s auditorium, those who couldn’t find a seat sat on the floor down front or along the sides. Toward the back, cafeteria tables were filled as well and the back row lined with people enjoying Mexican treats like shaved ice drinks and street corn sold by a vendor.

 

A roster of folklórico dancers and singers from different disciplines and regions of origin took the stage from 7 to 9 p.m.

After an intermission midway through, professional dancer and instructor Janitzia Rodriguez, a 40-year-old Pittsburg High alumna, recalled the rich history of folklórico in Pittsburg. This included her own family’s involvement.

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Since the 1940s, a dedicated lineage of individuals has safeguarded the heart of folklórico in Pittsburg, Rodriguez said.

Among the trailblazers she recalled was Jesus Perez — her grandfather — who arrived in Pittsburg in 1920 to labor at the steel mill. Alongside his wife, Perez was among the founding families of a local Sociedad Guadalupana in the 1940s.

Simultaneously, Carmen Gonzalez led the Sociedad Guadalupana and nurtured the tradition locally from the ’40s to the ’60s, offering classes from her home to the next generation, including Rodriguez’s aunts and uncles.

 

Rosadelia Detwiler, a teacher at Central Junior High School, created a Folklórico Mexica group during the 1970s Chicano Movement and spearheaded a La Raza Club at the school.

In the ’70s, Nick Vazquez, a member of Folklórico Mexica, pursued studies at UCLA. Upon his return, he introduced Los Angeles-acquired Folklorico to Pittsburg, helming Folklórico Mexica from 1975 to 1978. The group would perform at vibrant afternoon community parties known as “Tardeadas” that could last up to eight hours.

 

In subsequent years, Ernestina Ruiz and Angel Valencia sustained the Folklórico Mexica tradition, laying the groundwork for Ruben Rodriguez’s leadership in creating the ballet folklórico group Olin De Contra Costa. From 1986 to 2016, Rodriguez served as a dance instructor, and he performed for over 50 years.

“He (Ruben) was the person who really helped sharpen my skills in folklorico,” Janitzia said.

Further driving folklórico’s prominence in contemporary times is Eugenia Rodriguez, who established the first official folklórico group at Pittsburg High School in 2012, according to Janitzia.

 

Today, Eugenia has championed more teachers at the high school, including Janitzia, who is a drop-in instructor and Sagrario Ibarra, a new ballet folklórico instructor at Pittsburg High and the founder of the “Asi Se Siente Mexico” group.

“This is just the beginning,” Tezol said, stating the plan and sentiment of many of the students is to make the event an annual tradition.

With plans for future editions and dedicated students and alumni, Pittsburg High School is poised to continue the legacy of preserving folklórico through dance and music for years to come.

“You can see the countless hours of preparations,” 51-year-old Concord resident Luisa Carrera said. “I am blown away by the musicians, the violinists, the vocalists. Everything.”

 

Carrera came to support her 8-year-old niece Isabel who is part of the “Asi Se Siente Mexico” group.

This was the first folklórico festival Carrera has been to. And she found it warming how youth were able to connect with their roots through their teachers and art.

She said that organic connection is special.

“It is special that these kids can connect their roots with the community here,” she said. “You can see the generations coming together.”

@ccpulseSeveral Mexican folklore performers took the stage in front of more than 300 people at Willow Cave Elementary in Pittsburg, California on Friday night during the first Annual Foklorico Extravaganza hosted by Pittsburg High School STS Academy’s Folklorico Group.

♬ original sound – The Contra Costa Pulse