Members of Las Joyas del Desierto recently attended the International Mariachi Conference in Tucson, where they had the opportunity to perform for a large crowd. Among the performers were Lucia Morales, Sydney Weatherford, Chanlyr Sanchez, Annalise Castellano, Paty Weatherford and Cecy Enriquez. Group members also learned new dances, which they will premier at the city’s summer cultural dances held weekday evenings in June and July at Gillespie Park in Holbrook.
Local folkloric dance group Las Joyas del Desierto, or The Jewels of the Desert, expanded its repertoire and had the opportunity to perform for a large audience in Tucson, thanks to the support of the community.
Group members spent months raising funds to attend the Tucson International Mariachi Conference at the end of April, where they learned traditional dances from the Mexico state of Michoacán. Seven of the advanced students learned the dances, and will now teach them to the rest of the members and show them off to the public at the city’s summer cultural dances in June and July.
Las Joyas director Paty Weatherford explained, “Every state in Mexico has dances that are unique to that state with a lot of history behind them.”
The dances the group learned are not as showy as those from other states, according to Weatherford, but are infused with humor. She explained that the most popular new dance among the students is the Danza de los Viejitos, or dance of the old men. It features dancers wearing masks depicting old men and carrying canes.
“They walk like they’re old and then break out dancing,” she said. “All of the kids really like it.”
Members of the group previewed the dance at a recent fundraiser and plan to include it in their regular lineup at the summer dances.
Las Joyas del Desierto has been performing in Holbrook for three years, but Weatherford and her daughter have been working with folkloric dancers for about nine years. The group has performed at the city summer cultural dances for the last three years, as well as attending fundraisers and community events.
The group includes students of all ages and skill levels, and Weatherford noted that new members are always welcome. In addition to learning the steps of each dance, students learn the history and meaning of the dances, as well as appropriate costuming. Weatherford explained that, for example, the costumes for the traditional Michoacán state dances feature white shirts with colorful cross-stitching, an apron over the skirt and sandals instead of the more common dance shoes with noise-making nails on the heels and toes.
“The students wear what they have, but they learn that the traditional shoes are huaraches (sandals),” she noted.
In addition to the new dances from Michoacán, the group also performs dances from the Mexican states of Guerrero, Jalisco, Veracruz, Sinaloa and Nayarit. They performed dances from Nayarit for conference attendees.
Weatherford noted that the group members would like to thank the community for their support and they encourage everyone to attend the summer cultural dances to see the results of what they learned.
“They worked hard to get there and spent hours practicing every day,” she said.
