¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! will present Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles in several upcoming performances featuring regional traditions from Veracruz, Oaxaca and Jalisco.
The free shows will include updated medleys by Juan Gabriel and mariachi renditions of such Disney songs as “Un Poco Loco” and “A Tale as Old as Time.”
Members of Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar perform live music for dance and traditional favorites at 7 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Isla Vista School; 7 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Guadalupe City Hall; and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 14, in the Marjorie Luke Theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High School.
Founded in 2011 by Karli Montoya, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles has distinguished itself with creative collaborations and performances at high-profile venues. In 2016, the company was featured on the cover of National Geographic Traveller UK.
In 2017, the troupe collaborated with Mitu Network on a Mariachi remake video of Beauty and the Beast’s “A Tale as Old as Time” which went viral with more than 15 million views.
In 2018, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles collaborated with Disney Studios on a performance in celebration of the Pixar film Coco at the D23 Expo with Benjamin Bratt, Mariachi Divas and the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band.
They performed at the Coco Premiere at El Capitan Theatre, and in Remember Me, on the 90th Annual Academy Awards alongside Natalia Lafourcade, Gael Garcia Bernal and Miguel.
The company will also perform at the following school assemblies:
April 10: 8:30-9:15 a.m., La Honda STEAM Academy, 10:30-11:15 a.m., Lompoc High School
April 11: 9-9:45 a.m., Adelante Bi-lingual Charter School, Santa Barbara; 10:30-11:15 a.m., Notre Dame School, Santa Barbara; 1:15-2 p.m., McKinley Elementary, Santa Barbara; 3:30-4:15 p.m. Girls, Inc., Santa Barbara.
April 12: 8:30-9:15 a.m., Kellogg Elementary, Goleta; 11-11:45 a.m., La Patera Elementary, Goleta; 1-1:30 p.m. and 1:45-2:25 p.m., Isla Vista Elementary School, Goleta.
— Cathy Oliverson for ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara!.