Fresno - For Josiah Mayorga, Mexican folklórico dancing has been a part of his life since he was in the seventh grade and his sister danced with Águilas de Oro de Clovis West High School.
Mayorga, a 17-year-old senior at Clovis West, has become one of the best dancers.
Proof? Two first-place trophies he won at last Saturday’s inaugural Águilas de Oro de Clovis West High School Folklórico Dance Competition.
“Ever since I’ve dance folklórico, I’ve been very happy doing what I want to do,” said Mayorga, who won the high school solo competition with a dance from Tierra Caliente.
He teamed with classmate Kim Álvarado to win the high school duet with a number from Chihuahua.
Mayorga wasn’t completely satisfied with the original Chihuahua dance he was rehearsing, so he asked instructor Óscar Bustos for a more demanding dance.
“I wanted something more challenging, with harder steps,” said Mayorga. “I fell in love with it.”
Mayorga practiced three times a week on his solo performance, while also making time for the duet rehearsal. The Chihuahua dance borrowed from one he saw at a competition in San Diego.
Saturday’s competition at the Clovis West cafeteria was a first in the area. Organizer Julio Bustos, director of Teocalli Dance Academy, hopes to make it an annual event.
“Competition makes for better dancers,” said Bustos, who downplayed arguments that dancers hate competing. “In my mind, they’ve already won by being here today.”
Out-of-town judges – Cecilio De Castro of Grupo Folklórico Esplendor from East Los Ángeles, Anel Álvarez from the Sweetwater High School District in Chula Vista, and Steven Valencia from Sacramento’s Calidanza – graded 21 separate performances.
Showcase performances were presented by Alikar De Nayar, Grupo Folklórico Baja California Sur, and, Wakushmá.
The competition ranged from solo to youth to high school to adult divisions.
San José’s Alikar de Nayar won the adult large competition with a dance from Aguascalientes.
Águilas de Oro won the high school small division with a dance from Tierra Caliente.
San José’s Mestizos won the high school large competition with a dance from San Luis Potosí.
THE RESULTS
Middle school duet: 1. Grupo Folklórico Kastner (Jalisco); 2. Sol del Valle (Calabaceados).
Middle school large: 1. Teocalli Cultural Academy (Costa de Nayarit); 2. Grupo Folklórico Kastner (Nayarit)
High school solo: 1. Josiah Mayorga (Tierra Caliente); 2. Emily Magaña (Tamaulipas)
High school duet: 1. Josiah Mayorga & Kim Alvarado (Chihuahua); 2. Álvaro Tello & Cynthia García (Chihuahua); 3. Iriana Plaza & Maya Vizcarra (Guerrero Tierra Caliente)
High school small: 1. Águilas de Oro (Tierra Caliente); 2. Teocalli Dance Academy (Calabaceados); 3. Sol del Valle (Calabaceados)
High school large: 1. Mestizos (San Luis Potosí); 2. Águilas de Oro (Sinaloa)
Senior large: 1. Alikar De Nayar (Tamaulipas); 2. Teocalli Cultural Academy (Durango); 3. Grupo Folklórico Baja California Sur (Aguascalientes)
Source: Vida En El Valle
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