Students and faculty of Palo Alto College and Northwest Vista College will participate in the “Faces of Mexico” dance production.
The free program is scheduled for April 20 at 2:15 p.m. and April 21 at 7 p.m. in the PAC Performing Arts Theatre, and will include social dance, Mexican folklorico, contemporary and flamenco.

“It seems only natural to include all members of the PAC community in an intergenerational program,” said Dora Ruffner, professor of Dance at Palo Alto since 2003. An intergenerational program is one that is open to all ages. In past productions, participants have ranged from 5 to 80 years old.

Dance classes taught at Palo Alto include Mexican folklorico, taught by Jeannette Chavez, jazz and Latin jazz with Ashley Martinez and social dance with Michelle Angulo. Next fall, World Dance will be offered and will include dances from Spain, Mexico, India and Brazil.Students have been hard at work preparing for the April performance.

”I think it is important for students to have a chance to perform when studying dance, since dance is a performing art,” said Ruffner.

Since 2005, Palo Alto has offered dance as a major. Ruffner had to get the curriculum approved by the Academic Affairs Council. Now PAC has a two-year dance degree program that can be transferred to a four- year degree program. The school only offered modern and ballroom before it was made a major. Now it offers ballet, social, jazz and folklorico.

The dance credit at Palo Alto can be transferred to North Texas State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Texas Women’s University. They are in the process of developing transfer agreements with other universities.

On March 24, there will be a field trip to Texas State University in San Marcos to meet with the chair of the Dance Department and to see the dance program.

Taking dance has helped many students lose weight and relieve stress.

“I have no worries when I’m dancing. I’m just thinking dance,” said Melissa Rabago, a dancer and vice president of the dance club, Let’s Dance.

“Taking dance here at PAC is a lot less expensive than private instruction, which could cost anywhere from $90 for four classes or $40 for one,” said Sylvia Martinez, a dancer and president of the dance club.

At PAC, there is only one fee, and it can be used to cover the physical education credit that is required for graduation.

“It gives me more flexibility and relaxes me as well,” said Susan Washburn, a student who has been dancing since age five.

Taking dance can be for the experienced to the inexperienced and offer everything from exercise to fun.

“There are many ways to perform, and I try to give students opportunities that fit the type of dance and performance that interests them, but that also challenges their assumptions and offers an opportunity for learning and growing,” said Ruffner.