Mexican folk dance group keeps Latin American culture alive in Baltimore
At a small dance studio in Patterson High School, people of all ages are using dance and music to make Mexico feel closer to home while more than 1,000 miles away.”My mom is from Mexico, and I was born here, and my dad is from here, so it’s like a way that I can feel connected to my culture,” Gianna Mignini-Baez, 16, said.Gianna has been dancing with the Bailes de Mi Tierra Mexican Folk Dance group since she was a young girl.”It’s not something I know a lot of people do outside of my group, so it makes me feel happy that I can do something so special,” Gianna told 11 News.Jose Reyes started the dance group in 2008 to preserve, promote and present Mexican traditions through dance, folklore and music.”A lot of our dancers were born here, so this is a way that we reconnect to our roots, but when they see them, the audience, they may have come here recently,” Reyes told 11 News. “Some may have been born here, but when they see that, they know this is Mexico.”The group does Mexican and traditional dances that showcase the country’s diverse cultures.”When it comes to Mexico, there are 32 different states,” Yvette Batt-Reyes, the dance group’s co-director, said. “That is 32 different types of food, costumes, music, traditions, culture — it’s not just one country. It’s a mixture of different cultures and traditions. So, I would like to show everyone that it’s a blended culture, the beauty of the different costumes and dresses and food and we present that through music and through dance.”The group has also sprinkled in dances from countries in South America and from Puerto Rico. Dancers from kids to adults practice every Saturday at Patterson High School and perform at Latino festivals, museums, schools and churches — anywhere they can connect people with Mexican and Latin American traditions.”I just love getting to share with people who are not really familiar with the culture, and I want them to learn, so I like to share that way they can learn,” Ariel Batt-Martínez, a dancer, said.Through sharing and learning, Reyes hopes Bailes de Mi Tierra helps build bridges and understanding.”With the political climate that we have, unfortunately, this is the way that we showcase the beauty of not just Mexico, but all immigrants, Latin American, European, African — wherever they are from,” Reyes told 11 News. “This is how we showcase the beauty of immigrants in this country.”Reyes told 11 News that anyone can join Bailes de Mi Tierra. The group’s upcoming performances include the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Columbia on Saturday, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Viva La Cultura on Oct. 12.For more information about the group’s upcoming performances, tap here.
At a small dance studio in Patterson High School, people of all ages are using dance and music to make Mexico feel closer to home while more than 1,000 miles away.
“My mom is from Mexico, and I was born here, and my dad is from here, so it’s like a way that I can feel connected to my culture,” Gianna Mignini-Baez, 16, said.
Gianna has been dancing with the Bailes de Mi Tierra Mexican Folk Dance group since she was a young girl.
“It’s not something I know a lot of people do outside of my group, so it makes me feel happy that I can do something so special,” Gianna told 11 News.
Jose Reyes started the dance group in 2008 to preserve, promote and present Mexican traditions through dance, folklore and music.
“A lot of our dancers were born here, so this is a way that we reconnect to our roots, but when they see them, the audience, they may have come here recently,” Reyes told 11 News. “Some may have been born here, but when they see that, they know this is Mexico.”
The group does Mexican and traditional dances that showcase the country’s diverse cultures.
“When it comes to Mexico, there are 32 different states,” Yvette Batt-Reyes, the dance group’s co-director, said. “That is 32 different types of food, costumes, music, traditions, culture — it’s not just one country. It’s a mixture of different cultures and traditions. So, I would like to show everyone that it’s a blended culture, the beauty of the different costumes and dresses and food and we present that through music and through dance.”
The group has also sprinkled in dances from countries in South America and from Puerto Rico. Dancers from kids to adults practice every Saturday at Patterson High School and perform at Latino festivals, museums, schools and churches — anywhere they can connect people with Mexican and Latin American traditions.
“I just love getting to share with people who are not really familiar with the culture, and I want them to learn, so I like to share that way they can learn,” Ariel Batt-Martínez, a dancer, said.
Through sharing and learning, Reyes hopes Bailes de Mi Tierra helps build bridges and understanding.
“With the political climate that we have, unfortunately, this is the way that we showcase the beauty of not just Mexico, but all immigrants, Latin American, European, African — wherever they are from,” Reyes told 11 News. “This is how we showcase the beauty of immigrants in this country.”
Reyes told 11 News that anyone can join Bailes de Mi Tierra. The group’s upcoming performances include the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Columbia on Saturday, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Viva La Cultura on Oct. 12.
For more information about the group’s upcoming performances, tap here.
