ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET FOLKLÓRICO
From early in its beginnings, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has been committed to facilitating educational programs that enrich the lives of children and inspire a new generation of creative thinkers and artists. Healthy, safe, and free after-school programs offer educational opportunites for children of all ages, many of whom may not otherwise have a chance to experience movement education and dance performance.
Operating throughout the school year, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico is a free after-school program with deep roots in the communities of Santa Fe and the Aspen Valley.
The program offers inspiration, education, and recreation. The classes target children from grades K-12, and teach the culture, arts and crafts, and music of Mexico, along with its traditional dances. Classes are taught in both English and Spanish.
Program director Francisco Nevarez sees the award-winning activity as a lifeline to a generation of children. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico exposes youngsters to the richness of Mexican heritage and culture, presenting a balance of instruction and fun. The youth engage in performance opportunities in both communities as well as other cities in the Southwest (Denver, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Grand Junction), and there is a wonderful component of exchange where the kids from Aspen travel to Santa Fe to perform and vice versa.
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico provides dynamic experiences for children, the effects reaching outside the walls of the classroom as they go out into their communities and beyond to share their confidence and skills, teamwork and leadership.