SEATTLE — Nearly a year's worth of rehearsals are about to culminate Wednesday, Oct. 25, on stage at the Moore Theatre in Seattle for a 50th-anniversary celebration of Bailadores de Bronce.
A group of University of Washington students created Bailadores de Bronce in 1972 to demonstrate pride in their Mexican heritage through music and dance. In English, Bailadores de Bronce means "bronze dancers."
The founders questioned the lack of representation for Mexican people. Members and supporters of the group consider Bailadores de Bronce a part of the Civil Rights and Chicano movements.
According to the Bailadores de Bronce history, the group’s first official director was Elma Gonzalez Radke. Under her direction, the small but dedicated group hosted the 1977 National Conference for ANGF, the Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos. In 1975 Cecilia Ortiz Boyer and her brother Alberto Ortiz joined the group, and the legacy that is Bailadores de Bronce "found its heart and soul."
The group was chosen as the representative of the Washington State Hispanic community at the 1986 World’s Fair in Vancouver, B.C.
"They all decided that art with something that would represent the culture and open up peoples' minds to see that we were more than just Mexicans or Chicanos," said Adrian Olivas, current executive director of Bailadores de Bronce. "It was a way to express ourselves and let the people know what we were all about."
Adrian came to the Seattle area when he was 14. Bailadores de Bronce became his community and he found love while on the dance floor. His wife, Christina Olivas, a fellow long-time dancer in Bailadores de Bronce, has been the group's artistic director for nine years.
Together, Adrian and Christina bring more than 50 years of folklórico dance experience to the group. Christina said she is honored to choreograph performances, especially for the 50th anniversary celebration.
"I just want people who live here in Washington who may not be able to go back home to feel a connection and say maybe I’m not in Mexico anymore but there’s a part of Mexico here with me," Christina said.
Bailadores de Bronce members have been rehearsing several routines for nearly a year.
Several of Mexico’s states will be represented including Jalisco, Zacatecas, Yucatán, Guerrero, Nuevo León, and Sinaloa.
"We are going to have some live music," Christina said. "I won’t say which regions will have the live music, but there’s nothing like dancing to live music on stage."
Stepping on stage is a transformation for many of the dancers. It's a place where they can be themselves, and embrace and celebrate their culture.
"The second I stepped on the dance floor. It was just a whole different feeling and I'm very glad I did it," said Andrea Cantinca Gonzalez. "The energy... The passion one brings for representing their culture and you know part of their lives in their history."
While 17-year-old Cantinca Gonzalez's family heritage is Mexican - you do not have to be Mexican to join Bailadores de Bronce.
The group is open to everyone.
"Having people that aren’t Mexican dance - makes me happy because that’s just showing me that they love our culture just as much as we do," Christina said.
Adrian said bringing youth of all backgrounds into the group is important just as much as it is important to connect youth of Mexican heritage to their culture.
"It's not just representing my culture and coming from there and remembering what I saw in Mexico, but also have a new generation of kids who are third or fourth generation that have never been to Mexico, don't even speak the language," Adrian said. "It makes me so proud that they want to learn it, and once they get hooked on dancing, they even do more research themselves...that makes me makes everything worthwhile that we are putting that imprint on our community, and their kids."
One of the group's newest members is grateful for the invitation and welcome.
"I am not Mexican at all," said David Mendoza, "My mother is from Vietnam and she's Vietnamese-Chinese and my father is from Nicaragua, so it was a culture shock to me, but what I love about the group is how open and understanding.
The 25-year-old proud bailador said he encourages others to try it out.
"I decided to join in 2022 and it's the best decision of my life," Mendoza said.
While the group celebrates 50 years of history, music, culture, and dance, Adrian Olivas said everyone is looking ahead. It's younger members like Mendoza and Cantinca Gonzalez who are the future of folklórico and Bailadores de Bronce as a whole.
"I've seen so many changes," Adrian Olivas said. "I've seen so many generations of dancers come through Bronce for me it's more representing them and being able to have them come to the show and feel proud that they were part of Bronce at one point."
Bailadores de Bronce will host a 50th anniversary celebration on Oct. 25, at the Moore Theatre on Second Avenue in Seattle. There will be a matinee at 11 a.m. with doors opening at 10 a.m., and an evening performance at 7:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets to the matinee are $8 and $18 for the evening performance.
General admission for grades 3 and up is available.
To purchase tickets, click here.