SAN ANTONIO – In a unique partnership that bridges generations through dance, a group of elderly ballet folklórico performers known as Las Abuelitas De Oro is teaching their cherished Mexican folk dance traditions to elementary school students at Hawthorne Academy.
The program, one of the few art-based intergenerational partnerships in Texas, pairs dancers aged 72 to 86 with pre-K through second-grade students in a group called Los Rayitos del Sol.
“Most of the time is with the way we move, and we move our skirt, our feet, our hands,” said Mary Cimadevilla, 84, a member of Las Abuelitas De Oro.
For these seasoned performers, the dance form represents more than just movement.
Her fellow dancer, Dolores De Leon Savage, also 84, finds personal vitality in the practice.
“Dancing just helps me move, and the more I move the more I want to dance,” she said.
The collaboration goes beyond teaching dance steps. Students learn about the cultural origins of the dances and the storytelling embedded in each movement.
“The kids learn where the dances come from. They learn the steps. They learn the dances,” one of the instructors said, emphasizing how ballet folklórico serves as a form of cultural storytelling.
For the elderly dancers, the initiative represents an opportunity to ensure their cultural heritage lives on.
“I like to keep the culture alive and I’m hoping dancing with the kids and passing on that tradition, our heritage stays alive,” Cimadevilla said.
The program also reflects how Mexican cultural expressions have gained greater acceptance over time.
“When we were growing up it was very hard, but now the culture has bloomed, especially here in San Antonio,” Savage said.
Through this unique partnership, Las Abuelitas De Oro are ensuring that the vibrant traditions of ballet folklórico continue to thrive, one step and one student at a time.
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