The Ballet Folklórico Dance Conservatory at Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) will make its performance season debut by bringing back its exciting Fiesta Navideña holiday event for the fifth time.
Director of Ballet Folklórico Ms. Marlene Peña-Marin said putting together a main stage folklórico show is a very intense process that often takes the whole year. Fiesta Navideña, is a more casual, interactive, and cultural celebration that serves as a fundraiser for the conservatory during the fall semester.
“Although this feels like an intimate family event, the dances have become more grand, we’ve added more performances, and we’re selling out for every show. Each year of Fiesta Navideña has become even greater, so we’re very excited for this year,” said Ms. Peña-Marin.
The event will feature dance, culturally relevant food, and decor that will transport audience members to different regions of Mexico for the holiday season. During dinner, guests will enjoy performances in the variety of dance styles that students in the conservatory receive training — ballet folklórico, flamenco, ballet, and modern.
Fiesta Navideña will celebrate the important traditions of the holidays shared throughout Mexico. The students will perform dances from the states of Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Jalisco, including a beautiful rendition of the Nutcracker by Mariachi Sol de Mexico.
Leading up to the performance, students will dive into the historical and cultural elements of the dances in their conservatory classes. Every student performer will develop a deep understanding of these traditions, out of respect for the culture and so that they are able to bring the audience to the region of Mexico being honored through song and dance.
Ms. Peña-Marin said Fiesta Navideña is all about family. Parents within the conservatory provide support in any way possible to help make the show successful, including cooking and decorating the performance space.
“Our Ballet Folklórico parents: if you need food, tamales, frijoles, arroz — they’re gonna bring it. That’s what they’ll do, they give from their hearts in that way. So we thought, what if we host a dinner showcase? It’ll be a cultural, holiday family fun event,” Peña-Marin said.
The performances featured in Fiesta Navideña are inspired by the connections of the Mexican and ballet folklórico communities, something that Peña-Marin is extremely proud of. She said the advancement of inclusion and acceptance that she has seen in recent years brings her immense inspiration, and the growing appreciation for this deeply cultural dance style has occasionally brought her to tears.
“I tell the students, don’t ever take lightly what you do because what you do is very important for many reasons — be proud because representation matters. Mexican folk dancers, we love what we do and it's all about community,” she said.