Dance show promises rewarding evening for audience, performers

A dance troupe that promises to takes its audience “on an artistic journey into (the) distinct regions, era, and customs of Mexico” is coming to Olds' TransCanada Theatre on July 21.And while the audience will receive an evening of unforgettable entertainment when Danzas Folklorica Manzanillo (DFM) takes the stage, the show is just as much about what the performers will take away.Danzas Folklorica Manzanillo is the touring group of Ballet Folklorico Los Angelitos, an arm of the expressive arts program at a children's home in Manzanillo, Mexico, called Casa Hogar Los Angelitos.Manzanillo is a city located roughly 750 kilometres west of Mexico City.Established in 1996, the home takes in children who are orphaned, living on the street or from high-risk families or families living in poverty.While giving children a supportive space in the community, the home places a strong emphasis on using education to help young people escape poverty and every child who comes to the home is given opportunities to develop confidence and self-esteem.One of those opportunities is participation in the home's expressive arts program, which includes education and training in music, art and dance.Danzas Folklorica Manzanillo includes up to 60 children between the ages of six and 23 from the home and the Manzanillo community who rehearse for as many as 16 hours a week.In order to dance with DFM, the young people have to keep their grades up.This is the troupe's first trip to Canada to perform and the Kiwanis Club of Olds is sponsoring the show in Olds.Club member Joe Gustafson said because one of Kiwanis's priorities is to support children and because the Olds Kiwanis Performing Arts Society has a mandate to bring cultural events and entertainment to Olds, the club agreed to cover the troupe's accommodations while they are in town.He added the club has guaranteed the troupe a $5,000 “profit” from the Olds performance.“All ticket sales for the theatre are going to the group.”People from the community who knew about the children's home or who had seen DFM perform before brought the troupe to the club's attention, Gustafson said.Although the show is not a fundraiser, he added, the performance helps give troupe members a sense of pride and rewards their self-development efforts.It also raises awareness of what the home does.“It costs about $2,700 a year to rescue and keep a child,” Gustafson said.Beyond the dance performance, DFM's visit to the community will also mean opportunities for young people from Olds and Manzanillo to get a taste of each other's culture, he said.“We really want this to be a cultural thing and so what's going to happen is some of the students from the high school and the middle school are going to be meeting with (the dancers) in the afternoon. They're going to go bowling together, they're going to have a tour of the high school.”Gustafson added he has seen the show before and it includes a number of different dance forms including tap and sword dancing as well as costumes from throughout Mexico.“It's just a high energy, lots of fun thing to watch. It's not your traditional stand up and sing kind of thing. They're active dancers,” he said. “You'll be amazed at how these kids dance.”Tickets for the show, which begins at 7 p.m., are $20 for adults and $5 for students.To purchase tickets online, go to http://oldskiwanis.tix.com/Schedule.aspx?OrgNum=3225 or visit the Mountain View Museum and Archives.Call 403-586-3563 for more information.peverest@olds.greatwest.ca