A Rockford-area group is celebrating 10 years of preserving Mexican dance traditions. WNIJ’s Yvonne Boose was at the Saturday event at Levings Park and has their story.
Vibrant colored dresses flowed freely as groups of five or six dancers at time twirled to Latin tunes. Their dresses were long and resembled fluttering butterfly wings as they moved.
Liz Hernandez founded the group in 2015. She said she had about 15 students and then COVID hit. Now she has about 60.
Grupo de Baile Mosaico Cultural teaches dance while introducing different Mexican cultures to its students.
“Parents, you know, they were like, I want to put my kid in something,” Hernandez said. “And I guess they wanted to start, like, embracing their culture. A lot of them, they were born here. They don't know anything about the background. So, once they got into Mosaico Cultural, I taught them a little bit about, obviously, the dances and the traditions and where they come from.”
Cecilia Manriquez,14, is one of the students and Hernandez’s daughter.
“Since I was little, my mom has been trying to teach me about my culture, make sure I know where I come from,” she said. “Even though I was born here in the United States, I know so much about my origin. And my mom was born in Mexico. So, dancing also helps me see what other people’s cultures are. Like, the dress that I'm wearing is from Sinaloa, and I know a lot of the origin from Sinaloa now, because of, because of the dance group.”
Melissa Santillan was there to support her eight-year-old granddaughter. She said this group means a lot to her family.
“She’s learning so much discipline and so much about her own culture,” she said. “I was born here. My mother was born here, grandmother, so was she, so exposing her to our culture was very important.”
Jorge Perez,15, was preparing for his performance as he carefully maneuvered two machetes. He explained how he uses them.
“Sometimes it's like scratching and banging, clicking and usually scratching,” he described. “I do scratching to make sure the others don't really necessarily get hurt, in case. Because I've hurt myself a couple times, I prioritize the others to make sure they're safe. Even if it's dull, it still is a dangerous weapon.”
Jorge is no longer a part of the group but said he wanted to support the celebration.
Brisa Lopez, 18, is one of four recent high school graduates awarded scholarships worth $650.
This is her first year with the dance troupe.
“For this dress, it's a Jalisco dress,” Lopez explained. “So, the first song that I'm going to dance is ‘Son de La Negra.’ And I mean, it kind of gives the Mexican flag, but, yeah, it's cute.”
Jeanette Solis is a local realtor and one of the event’s sponsors. She’s watched how the group changed over the years.
“Now it's gotten to the point where she even has adult dancers in there,” she said. “Actually, her mom is a dancer, and she's along with other ladies that are, you know, in their 50s and doing these dances and showing off the culture, the beautiful dresses, the different colors and different festivities.”
Solis said Hernandez pours her heart into the group, and the girls look up to her.
“And she opens her door to anyone," she said. "It doesn't just have to necessarily be in the Hispanic community. She's opened the doors to other kids that want to be part of it. And putting something together like this is amazing. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
