University's Folklorico Workshop Draws Record Participation

A two-day folklorico dance workshop held recently at Texas A&M International University drew record participation, including students from as far away as Austin, Corpus Christi, and Kingsville.

The workshop, titled "Mexican Folklorico from A to Z," was organized by the University's Ballet Folklorico group as a service to the community. Funding for the two-day event was provided, in part, by the Texas Commission of the Arts and the City of Laredo.

Event organizer Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia, Director of A&M International's Ballet Folklorico group, said over 70 dance students participated in the workshop, including dancers from A&M International, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Alcorta's Folklorico (Corpus Christi), the Vidal M. Treviño Magnet School, Prada Elementary, Danceworks, Zapata High School, and L.J. Christian Middle School.

Pedro Serna, a Master folklorico dance instructor from Zacatecas, Mexico, conducted the workshop at the University. He provided instruction on the basics of folkorico dances from eight regions of Mexico, including Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, and the Distrito Federal (Mexico City).

The next public performance of the Texas A&M International University Ballet Folklorico will be the group's annual "Primavera Mexicana" dance concert. It will be held on Thursday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in the University's Kinesiology/Convocation Building. Admission is free and the public is cordially invited to attend.

For more information, please contact Mendoza-Garcia at 326-2280.

University office hours are from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu