A lively night of music, dance, and tradition filled the Eastside Performing Arts Center on April 25 as Los Leones celebrated their cultural heritage with the community by hosting a District Folklorico showcase. The Eastside dancers shared the stage with the Mariachi Los Leones and other Ballet Folklorico performers from multiple high schools, including Antelope Valley, Lancaster, Littlerock, Highland, and Quartz Hill.

Dances from different regions of Mexico were performed, including Chihuahua, Jalisco, Veracruz, Guerrero, and more. Each distinct style was accompanied by a different outfit representing the long-running traditions of the culture. Mariachi Los Leones del Desierto also gave beautiful performances of classics such as Cien Años, Las Mañanitas, and Amor Eterno. 

Ballet Folklorico allows students to immerse themselves in each regions’ stories and learn about the nuances that make each of these places unique through dance. For many students, clubs and events like this give them an opportunity to connect with their roots. 

Junior Maritza Perez said she was excited to see the performance for La Iguana because her family is from Veracruz, and she could relate to her culture through the song. Senior Brian Rivera Tavares was eager for the same performance due to it being unlike most of the songs in their repertoire. 

Junior Mauricio Zarate Jr. said that he was most looking forward to performing La Boda de Huitlacoche and Brinquitos, the latter of which is from the Baja California state of Mexico.

“It tells the story of a groom and a wife, of getting married. So in Boda, it shows the story of them at the wedding ceremony, and Brinquitos is like the afterparty, so [they’re] celebrating their marriage,” Zarate said. 

After practicing all year, their countless hours of dedication were celebrated by the supporters in the crowd. Getting to share the stage with their peers can feel like a reward for all the effort they put into their craft. 

“For me, I’m looking forward to the last song that we’re doing for this show, it’s El Gallito,” said Senior Julian Martinez. “It’s like mainly everybody on our team in that and it’s really beautiful, and it’s just nice to see everybody on stage.” 

For seniors, the moment is especially emotional as they wrap up their last year with their Folklorico clubs. Senior Angeline Barajas said it hit her on the day of the showcase that it would be her last showcase with everyone from the district’s folklorico clubs together. 

This event has shown the growth of this program across the district. The energy every school brought to the stage was electric, and all their hard work was evident through their performances.

“This is one of our biggest shows that we love because it’s not necessarily a focus on them, so even though they’ve been prepping for it for the entire year, we love seeing how much just the folklorico has grown within our district,” said Los Leones Co-Advisor Sonia Munoz.

At the end of the showcase, every single performer joined the stage, giving a powerful sense of unity and visual representation of AVUHSD’s expanding ballet folklorico presence across the schools.