In Spring 2027, a new class will allow Toro students to immerse themselves in Mexican heritage – through dance. The course, Dance 195: Ballet Folklórico, is being offered by the CSUDH Department of Theater and Dance and is open to students off all skill levels and experience.
The course will be taught by Rosa Garcia, who has been leading similar classes in local community colleges for several years. Garcia earned a BA in Dance from CSU Long Beach and an MFA in Dance from UC Irvine.
Garcia says the course will focus on popular dances from regions throughout Mexico, from Jalisco to Veracruz. “I usually go with the top five most popular regional dances,” she says. “When I was younger, the most popular was dance from the state of Chihuahua, which has very polka-like movements. Today, modern music like banda from Sinaloa is the most popular, so I try to get to that one as quickly as I can!”
The instructor hopes that students get more out of the class than simply learning a few new dance moves. “Folk dance is a way to understand humans a little bit more in a different perspective,” says Garcia. “I think it contributes to open-mindedness and understanding human beings in general. What makes us human? Sometimes people segregate themselves into groups – you’re a ballet dancer or a hip hop dancer or a Mexican folk dancer – but I want to focus on what unites us all.”
“At the end of the day, I want to bring all that together and help students understand themselves a little bit more. We are all human and we all have many kinds of connections.”
Dance 195: Ballet Folklórico will be offered in the Spring 2029 semester. For more information, contact the CSUDH Department of Theater and Dance at (310) 243-3636.
