Ballet Folklorico: 2024 Mexican Fiesta XIII Dance Recital, Friday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m., Galvin Fine Arts Center, Davenport
Ballet Folklorico 40th Anniversary Banquet, Saturday, Sept. 28, 5 p.m., Isle of Capri, Bettendorf
In 1984, Arnulfo Camarillo and his wife Beatriz gathered their kids, nieces and nephews at the downtown YWCA to teach them some traditional dances from their hometown in Mexico. They decided to put on a Mother’s Day performance with a few other families.
“It was such a success that the families didn’t want to stop, and it continued since then,” says Karina Camarillo, daughter of Arnulfo and Beatriz. Her family formed the Quad Cities Ballet Folklorico, currently celebrating 40 years of sharing Mexican culture in southeast Iowa through music, traditional costumes and dance.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 2008, QCBF is still run entirely by volunteers, including a board of directors, assistant instructors and a lead instructor, Ray Terronez, Jr., who has also served as the org’s director for the last 16 years.
“I was a dancer, I started when I was 7,” Terronez said. When the opportunity to become director was presented, he was torn. “I was young, I only had two years of being an instructor and assistant instructor under my belt at the time. But I thought it was important because if I didn’t say yes to the position, the QCBF probably would have stopped. We didn’t have anyone who could take over as director.”
Fortunately, the founders took on roles of advisors, mentors and board members, helping Terronez make decisions and look out for the well-being of the group.
QCBF has come a long way. After years of bouncing from spot to spot for rehearsals, in 2017 they rented a studio shared with a martial arts school. Having a consistent home has helped the morale of the group, Terronez said — “Kids like to hang out before or after practice in the hallways or lobby.” This fosters friendships among the dancers, while also giving QCBF space to store the elaborate, colorful, eye-catching costumes and props they use when performing.
Of course, 2020 presented its challenges. All performances were canceled as gatherings became health risks. The studio closed and the group couldn’t collect the donations they rely on. The board, parents and Terronez worked hard to apply for grants to pay the bills until it was safe to perform again.
The demand for membership was stronger than ever upon their return in 2021, and QCBF surpassed 100 dancers. Terronez attributes it to a resurgence of cultural pride among youth.
“I currently have students with no Hispanic heritage that want to learn our type of dance. I’ve noticed more youth embracing our traditional dancing. I go to quinceañeras and a lot of the kids are doing steps that are folkloric. They’re dancing to huapangos and doing steps we teach at the studio. They might not know it because they’re dancing in jeans and modern clothes, but they’re doing the traditional Mexican dances we teach.”
Extracurriculars tend to improve a student’s academic outcomes, and QCBF is proud to boast that their dancers go on to graduate high school. Part of that accomplishment comes from their mentor program, Pasos Con Amigos; in English, Steps with Friends.
“It was designed to bridge the gap between our small and older groups,” Terronez explained. “It incorporates helpful learning opportunities for our small group students through fun activities while further building the leadership skills of our older group students.”
Some graduated dancers return to help with choreography. Currently, there are three former members/current college students volunteering their time as assistant instructors, giving back to the group that made such an impact on their lives.
Supportive parents have also been invaluable to the success of the group. They often carpool dancers to performances, even out of state, hauling costumes, props and equipment with them. Camarillo and Terronez are especially thankful to the community for their backing over the years — from the nursing home shows that allow newer dancers to gain confidence in front of a friendly crowd; to the colleges and universities that invite QCBF to perform and get a taste of a higher-ed environment; to the festivals and fairs that call on the dancers to share their talents — all have made the 40th anniversary possible.
To celebrate, QCBF is hosting two events this month: Sept. 27 is the Mexican Fiesta XIII, a recital at the Galvin Fine Arts Center in Davenport. They have a special presentation planned that includes original costumes from the group’s first performance in 1984, and the debut of two new dances that were taught by instructors brought in from Colima and Tabasco, Mexico.
These new styles will mean QCBF will have performed dances from more than 20 Mexican states, Terronez said, making the recital “a mixture of our history and our future.”
“The kids have been working hard and are so excited,” Camarillo said. “It’s going to be a story of history from when it started to the present day.”
The next day, Sept. 28, QCBF volunteers, founders, dancers past and present, and their families will celebrate with the community at a banquet at the Isle of Capri Grand Ballroom in Bettendorf. Both events are affordable ($5-10 for the recital, $25-45 for the banquet) to encourage as many current and prospective member families to attend as possible.
“We’re going to have dancers and parents speak about what Quad Cities Ballet Folklorico means to them,” Camarillo explained.
For more information, visit their website, theqcbf.com, or contact QCBF’s board president Karina Camarillo at alegre78@gmail.com or call 630-526-3558.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s September 2024 issue.
