Hispanic Holiday celebration planned for Northern California

GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS HERALDS
CHRISTMAS IN MEXICO WITH THE FOLKLORIC CELEBRATION
‘NAVIDAD EN MEXICO’ STARRING
BALLET FOLKLORICO MEXICANO DE CARLOS MORENO
WITH MARIACHI COLIMA

Navidad en Mexico Takes Audiences on a Journey to Mexico Through Colorful Dance and Music, Celebrating a Mexican Christmas in Regions of Jalisco, Michoacán, Sonora, Veracruz and More!
PRESS RELEASE

Modesto, CA, December 1, 2008 -- The Gallo Center for the Arts sets the tone for a spectacular night of festivities, color and celebration with Navidad en Mexico starring the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno together with Mariachi Colima and invited vocalist Yolanda Aranda on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 19-21. To provide everyone with a chance to come and see this wondrous event, Navidad en Mexico will have two evening performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and two additional matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm. Featuring 30 dancers, 10 mariachis, a singer and a lariat roper, this ‘south-of-the-border’ celebration is laden with seasonal accents such as a traditional Christmas processional (posadas), a festive piñata scene, and a Mexican holiday finale.

Besides its seasonal flavor, Navidad en Mexico gives the audience a whirlwind tour of the country’s distinct cultural regions which include Mexican states such as Jalisco, Sonora, Baja California, Michoacán and many more. Animated polkas, rancheras, and corridos from northern Mexico stand in contrast to sensuous Caribbean dances from the country’s coastal areas. Graceful harvest and courtship dances from the south are juxtaposed with indigenous rituals reminiscent of Mayan and Yaqui traditions. And festive dances from Jalisco, in the banda and mariachi styles, create a party-like atmosphere that celebrates Mexico’s most cherished artistic exports.

Navidad en Mexico is a performance that rivals the glitz and glamour of the best Broadway attraction. With forty years in the performing arts business, the Moreno family has mastered the subtleties of putting together a first-rate and polished production. Beautiful backdrops displaying a Mexican plaza or a lush tropical scene provide the setting for the fast-paced footwork (zapateado) of male dancers and the energetic skirt twirling (faldeo) of female dancers. Showcasing the rich artistic traditions of Mexican culture with style and ethnic sparkle, the performers in the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno never miss a beat as they enter and exit the stage with flawless precision in a ‘stomp and whirl’ mode.

The company’s Christmas in Mexico attraction is definitely a charismatic and crowd-pleasing event for a family audience. A fashion-show of eye-catching costumes and an eclectic musical journey through popular Mexican tunes, Navidad en Mexico provides a cultural alternative to a Eurocentric holiday theme. The Los Angeles Times writes that the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano offers a “formidable” and “tightly rehearsed” performance with “innovative” choreography; the Diario de Veracruz calls the show “visually stunning” and “stupendous.” The Ballet’s choreography is definitely the real thing, learned from a family of artists – the Morenos, who for generations have studied Mexican folklore and its artistic expression on both sides of the border.

Tickets for Navidad en Mexico are priced $24-$38. A 15% discount is available for groups of 15 or more. Last year’s performance sold out, so the Center recommends buying in advance. To order tickets, or for more information and/or a complete roster of this season’s upcoming events, log on to www.galloarts.org or call (209) 338-2100. Navidad en Mexico is sponsored by Univision 19 and Telefutura 64.

The Gallo Center for the Arts proudly thanks its 2008-09 Premier Partners: Doctors Medical Center, Doubletree Hotel Modesto, Foster Farms, KVIE Public Television, Univision 19 and Telefutura 64.

ABOUT THE GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Gallo Center for the Arts, located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, opened in September 2007 as a world-class performing arts venue and has since attracted over 200,000 patrons to its diverse array of programs. Consisting of the 1250-seat Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, 444 seat Foster Family Theater and a grand lobby space connecting the two theaters, the award winning Gallo Center for the Arts is a unique public-private partnership between the County of Stanislaus and a nonprofit organization which today operates the Center. Through dynamic artistic programming and community-focused educational programs, the Center celebrates cultural diversity with the international language of the arts. For more information on the Gallo Center for the Arts, visit the Center’s website at www.galloarts.org.