Folklorico Friday: Oaxaca

...Calpulli...will lead by example...accompanied by mariachi music and aztec drums. It won't be hard to coax your little ones onto their feet for some dancing with these seasoned pros.

…colorful performance leaves the audience applauding and eager for more.

…performed with vigor and soul to spare.

I admire Calpulli for the great programming and equally for their ability to bring new and diverse audiences to our venue.

The whole community was delighted by your excellent work, including those from the College, the Town and importantly, the local Mexican-American community.

Calpulli's performance was the perfect complement to our Día de los muertos [Day of the Dead] celebration! Students truly enjoyed the live music and dancing. The interactive portion of the show was a pleasant surprise, The audience was engaged and, at the end of the show, expressed interest in the rich Mexican culture.

I could not be happier to have my daughter enrolled in Calpulli. In a nurturing environment, she learns about her parents’ culture and gets to know other kids like her. Now my daughter realizes she’s Mexican, and when she hears a song, she says, hey that’s our song! It’s also a great experience for the parents. I’m always running around working, so I don’t even have time to sit down and breathe. At Calpulli, while our kids are in the class, the parents have time to connect. I met so many strong mothers, and I honestly feel that their support got me through some hard times in my life.

My daughter’s Headstart teacher noticed she had a special talent for dance, and urged me to find a dance program for her. But when I began to look around for programs, all them were unaffordable for me as a single mother who had recently lost my husband. I felt so sad thinking that I couldn’t develop her gift because of our economic situation. Then, by chance, I found Calpulli. Even during weeks when we were struggling to pay for food and rent, I knew we would be able to go to class. The program provided a constant for my daughter every week. I feel like Calpulli has been an angel for our family.

Calpulli's peformance was the perfect complement for our Día de los muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration! Students truly enjoyed the live music and dancing. The interactive portion of the show was a pleasant surprise, not only fun but also educational. The audience was engaged and, at the end of the show, expressed interest in the rich Mexican culture.

My students enjoyed the show very much. They can’t stop talking about it. Thank you.

Wow! We absolutely loved working with you. Thank you so much for everything. Alberto [Lopez] was a warm, energetic, and well-prepared teacher who we would love to have come back to our school.

The dancing and music were perfection- and your knowledge, ease with the audience, and immediate relationship with our dancers made this an afternoon that exceeded expectations.

It is admirable – the talent and the professionalism developed among the members of Calpulli, above all among the new generations born and raised in the U.S. You have that touch so Mexican that one forgets we are seeing this performance at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Response to the event has been incredibly enthusiastic, and… your workshop attracted some families who had never before attended a school event -- precisely what we hoped to achieve in applying for this grant.

The children, straff, and parents of P.S. 92 Community of Learners would like to express out appreciation for the opportunity to host the Calpulli Mexican Dance Co. The dancers were just wonderful! The costumes and cultural roots of the music and dances were carefully explained in a child-centered manner.

On behalf of all of us at the B.E.S.T Program Seniors Center, I want to thank all the dancers for such a great job. The senior were totally amazed and did not stop talking about them for a week.

Your company’s performance at West Point this past Friday was phenomenal. Your dancers exceeded all our expectations and delivered a show that engaged and enthralled the audience in a way I have never before witnessed. Please pass on our sincere thanks to all who made this possible. Keep up the great work you’re doing in promoting our cultural heritage.

I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful and beautiful performances on May 5th. Our campus is still talking about your dance troupe!

"It was truly a fantastic show! We were elated with the Día de los Muertos program and every audience reaction I saw and heard was extremely positive! You and your company are an utter joy to work with..."

"I love the way you continue the tradition but stretch, re-introduce Mexican folklore with/for modernity."

""What a wonderful show!...If you haven't seen the amazing work of this company, you are missing out!"

"We received a great response and appreciation from the audience (both kids and adults) after the program. We love the unique and energy filled programing you continually bring."

"Sweat beading down my face. Smiling at the hundreds of people in the audience. Four months ago I never thought I would be dancing on the stage of the famous Alvin Ailey Studios in Manhattan with my fellow classmates. All I hear when the dance ends is cheering and applauding as my family embraces me with joy."

"I LOVED the show. It worked so well - the interactions with the audience; the costumes; the foot work; the vocalizations. It wasn't too long. It was so engaging! My class will be dancing all week and beyond! Excellent!"

On October 30, 2016, I attended "Dia de los muertos/ Day of the Dead," presented by Calpulli Mexican Dance Company. At first, I did not know what to expect. Death is not a favorite topic of ethnic Chinese Americans. When I was assured there a story behind the dance, I decided to attend. Anything with a great story is good by my. Dance is not my first love but the story of young lovers parted by cruel fate, motherly Catrina, Queen of the underworld world of the Dead, grants Lupita permission to visit her lover Raul in the world of the living, reminded me of the Greek legend of Persephone, mom Demeter and Hades, the terrifying ruler of the world of the dead. So great there are connections between this folk story in the new world and that of myth from the old world. The audience's enthusiasm was infectious. The theater was full; young children attended, grandparents were there. The costumes were like enormous colorful fans for women and pinstripes for the men. The dancers smiled and the folks welcomed Raul back to the world of the living.

Great job students are doing & can’t speak highly enough regarding Alberto Lopez! Students adore him. He is a consummate professional. What an amazing experience for the students and me!

"The workshop was absolutely fabulous, and students LOVED it and got to learn, too :) Parents stayed to watch entranced instead of making their kids leave in the middle (which I have seen with other workshops.)"

"The first day with the students and Alberto is fabulous and wonderful!! The students had such a great time. Even parent volunteers showed up to help out. One of my former students came in to drop off some papers and said, ‘I’m jealous, why didn’t we do something like this last year! So that was great to hear."

"We loved it!!!!! Just the fact that the "most challenged" of our students came up to the stage to participate was in of itself a true MIRACLE!!!!! Thank You so very much !!!! We hope to see you next year with an expanded performance of your marvelous Calpulli Mexican  Dance Company. The teachers and staff of the school expressed their amazement of your performance and the impact you had on our children. Please come again to our school next year." - Donna Damone, Teacher, Central Valley Schools