Orange County School of the Arts
BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DANCE CONSERVATORY
Proudly Presents
Tradición Que Baila en el Corazón
APRIL 10 & 11, 2026 7 PM APRIL 11, 2026 2 PM
Welcome to the Ballet Folklórico Dance Conservatory’s Fiesta Navideña at the Orange County School of the Arts!
Thank you for joining us this evening in support of our wonderful students and their incredible talent. We are honored to share with you the beauty, richness, and joy of Mexican folk traditions celebrated throughout the holiday season. Our dancers have worked with tremendous dedication, and tonight’s performance is a heartfelt expression of their pride, artistry, and cultural heritage.
As you enjoy the lively rhythms, colorful stories, and spirited choreography, we invite you also to savor the delicious food lovingly prepared by our conservatory families. This celebration is a true community effort, and we are grateful for everyone who contributed their time, passion, and support to make tonight special.
We hope Fiesta Navideña fills you with warmth and excitement as we enter this joyous season. Gracias for being here and for supporting our students and the traditions that inspire them.
Warmest holiday wishes,
Marlene Peña-Marin Director Ballet Folklórico Conservatory
Orange County School of the Arts
BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DANCE CONSERVATORY
presents
Sabor A Mar
Huatulco Hermoso
Sabor a Mar
Atolito Con el Dedo
Ometepec
Alingo Lingo
Jaranas Yucatecas
Aires Yucateco
Meridiana
Timbalero
Mi Yucateca
Reyna Gisel
From the Heart
Vals Alejandra
Memoria
Everything Connected
Intermission
Orange County School of the Arts BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DANCE CONSERVATORY
presents
De la Pena a la Alegría
Seguiriyas
Soleá por Bulerías
Tanguillos de Cadiz
Alegrías de Cadiz
Zapateado Colimense
Pajarito Coliman
El Pitayero
Jarabe de Colima
¡Viva Jalisco!
El Pasacalles
Ay Mi Jalisco
El Angel
Jarabe Tapatio
BALLET
FOLKLÓRICO DANCE CONSERVATORY 2025/2026
Director: Marlene Peña-Marin
FACULTY
Chelsea Asman - Modern
Anne Elise Garrison – Choreography Composition and Contemporary
Mercedes Ibarra – Flamenco
Lilia Muñiz – Folklórico Repertory
Shannon Overley – Classical Ballet
Madeline Peña – Folklórico Repertory and Technique
Ismael Murillo – History of Folklórico Dance
SPECIAL GUEST MUSICIANS
Ann Robertson Quinn – Canta
Bobby Solokov – Guitarra
Richard Chavez – Cajón
Mercedes Ibarra – Palmas
JUNIOR CONSERVATORY STUDENTS
7th Grade
Kensy Cuellar, Melanie Hernandez Magaña, Daphne Herrera, Leslie Lara, Jessica Lopez, Athena Millan, Giovanni Perales Haro, Ava Ross, Allison Uribe, Solyn Wong
8th Grade
Ella Bustillos, David Godinez, Joel Herrera, Olivia Herrera, Ashlynn Lozano, Atticus Martinez, Karen Martinez, Alan Parra, Kara Pineda, George Rivera, Alyssa Sarinana, Alexander Servin
SENIOR CONSERVATORY STUDENTS
9th Grade
Anik Alcaraz, Isabella Arias, Emma Gabriel Delgado, Sabrina Durazo, Crystal Guerrero, Jocelyn Lugo, Bansari Martinez, Leah Martinez, Sasha Ortega-Fosado, Victoria Quintero, Briana Salgado
10th Grade
Jazmin Aldana, Gisselle Ayala, Clare Bodnar, Sophia Dueñas, Manuel Muñoz, Lizbeth Soria, Valerie Umanzor
11th Grade
Allison Carballera, Victoria Chavez, Melinda Franco, Nathan Pineda, Valerie Tepayotl
12th Grade
Angel Alarcon, Jimena Alcocer, Julian Aldana, Jesus Alvarez, Alexa Campos, Maya Cantoran, Fabian Elias, Vanessa Eulloqui, Jade Fernandez Rolon, Vivian Hernandez Gramajo, Hannah Iribe, Ema Lopez, Anais Martinez, Adriana Perez, Arianna Ramirez, Itzel Ramirez, Maya Ramirez, Alexa Salazar, Emery Slominski, Landyn Slominski
PARENT ARTS COUNCIL
Wendy Bodnar
Veronica Herrera
Adriana Lopez
Rosie Lopez
Maria Martinez
Melissa Merrill
Yessica Perez
Alma Sarinana
Val Sy
Betty Umanzo
March 9, 1976 - March 15, 2026
We lovingly dedicate this show to the memory of Maria Eloisa Martinez. She will always be remembered for her love and unconditional support of not just her own babies, but all our folklórico babies. May Maria rest in eternal peace. You will always be cherished, remembered, and deeply missed.
CHELSEA ASMAN - Everything Connected
Chelsea Asman is a graduate of the M.F.A. in Dance program at University of California, Irvine. She currently teaches dance at Glendale Community College, and for both the Kinesiology and Theatre & Dance Departments at California State University Dominguez Hills. Mrs. Asman has served as the Mentor Match Coordinator for Everybody Dance LA! since 2018 and is a new member of the Ballet Folklorico Conservatory faculty at Orange County School of the Arts. She has also taught at Loyola Marymount University and Fullerton Community College. Mrs. Asman has performed with many Los Angeles based dance companies including Diavolo Dance Theatre’s Education Company, Method Contemporary Dance Company, Invertigo Dance Theatre, Multiplex Dance, Kairos Dance Company, Jess Harper and Dancers, and Jay Bartley and Dancers. In addition to performing, Chelsea has shown work of her own at CSUDH, Glendale Community College, University of California, Irvine, L.A. Dance Festival, MixMatch Dance Festival, Transient Truths, Invertigo Dance Theatre’s Not Quite Love Stories, and HHII by Nebula Dance Theatre in Santa Barbara, California. In addition to dance, Mrs. Asman also has a background in fitness. She holds certifications in Pilates mat, Yoga, Yin Yoga, TRX Suspension Training, and is a certified personal trainer through the National Exercise and Sports Training Association.
ANNE ELISE GARRISON - Memoria
Anne Elise Garrison is a performer and teaching artist based in Long Beach, CA. Originally from South Carolina, Anne Elise began her dance training at Augusta West Dance Studio, where she trained in various styles such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, and hip hop. Before graduating, she had the privilege of traveling with Dancemakers Inc. as an assistant and demonstrator to industry dancers such as Kathryn McCormick, Robert Roldan, and Justin Giles. Anne Elise moved to California in 2018 to earn her undergraduate degree at Chapman University, completing a BFA in Dance Performance and a Minor in Nutrition. Her time in Southern California has led her to dive deeper into the practice of Gaga and Countertechnique and before joining Backhaus Dance, perform for artists such as Ido Tadmor, João Ducci, Kelly McGill, and Mara Hancock. Since becoming an educator in 2022, Anne Elise balances her time as a Backhaus Dance Teaching Artist and Company Member with her time in studios as an instructor for the Dancecapade Ballet Company, Jazz/Contemporary Competitive Dance Team at FOCUS Dance Center, and OCSA’s Ballet Folklorico Conservatory as a Contemporary and Choreography Instructor. She values the time spent with her students as they keep her curious and eager to spread joy through dance education.
MERCEDES IBARRA
- De La Pena a la Alegría
Mercedes Ibarra discovered Flamenco in 1995 at UCLA when choosing a dance class on a whim. In just a year, she became a member of DeLiRitmo Dance Company, under the direction of Liliana de Leon-Torsiello, and then later joined the Gabriela Garza Flamenco Dance Company, performing all around Southern California. In 2005, she moved to Spain where she studied at the world-renowned Centro de Arte Flamenco y Danza Española, Amor de Dios, in Madrid. Also studying with Flamenco masters such as La Truco, David Paniagua, Inmaculada Ortega, Marta Jimenez and Manuel Reyes Maya. While in Madrid, Mercedes also performed at the tablao, El Juglar, in the historic Flamenco district of Lavapiés. After returning from Spain, Mercedes began performing at all the local tablaos in Southern California and continued her studies with Roberto Amaral, Briseyda Zarate, and Linda “La Matadora” Andrade, joining Andrade’s company, Sakai Flamenco, in 2010. She has also been a regular collaborator with Collage Dance Theater/Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre since 2010. In 2016, Mercedes joined the faculty of the Ballet Folklorico Conservatory at the Orange County School of the Arts. In 2019, Mercedes took over as the Artistic Director of Sakai Flamenco and in doing so, became a Teaching Artist for the Los Angeles Music Center, Los Angeles Arts Organization, and College of the Canyons, leading workshops and producing performances in schools and in the community. She has been a member of the International Dance Council at UNESCO since 2014.
LILIA MUÑIZ - Colima and Yucatán
Ms. Muñiz was introduced to dance at a very young age and quickly realized it was her passion. She has studied various forms including Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Folkórico, which is what she enjoys the most. In 2007 she opened her own dance space and became the director of USA Dance Studio. Ms. Muñiz was a member of Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company for over 10 years, under the direction of Jose Vences. Some of her performance venues include the Ford Amphitheatre, Hollywood Bowl, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. In 2017/2018 she was cast in the holiday show ¡Viva Navidad! at the Disney Resort. She continues to enhance her folklórico knowledge by attending conferences and seminars both in the US and Mexico. In 2019 she was awarded the OCSA Artist Teacher Fellowship to travel to Tepic, Nayarit studying the indigenous and received the fellowship once again in 2023 where she traveled to Yucatan to continue her training. Miss Lili truly enjoys teaching the beautiful and colorful dances of Mexico and wishes to pass on that knowledge for many years.
MADELINE PEÑA - Yucatán, Colima y Sabor A Mar Suite
As a third generation of a family of dancers, Madeline was immersed in folklórico dance at a very young age. She began instruction at age 3 with Relámpago Del Cielo where she is now part of the dance company and an instructor continuing to research and create new pieces. She is a graduate of the Orange County School of the Arts Ballet Folklórico Dance Conservatory. Madeline has performed in various venues throughout California and Mexico and has continued her training by attending the Seminario Transnacional de Danza workshops in Mexico to help further her knowledge in folklórico dance. Madeline has had the privilege of performing in Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Since 2013, as well as “A Musical Celebration of Coco” presented at the Disney Resort. Madeline has returned to her alma mater OCSA as an instructor in the Ballet Folklórico Dance Conservatory to give back to the community that inspired her. Miss Maddie, as she is known by her students, enjoys sharing her passion and choreographing for the next generation of dancers.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Provided by staff and students of the Production & Design Conservatory
BOX OFFICE COORDINATORS
Alyssa Felix Garcia, Nichole Smith
SCHOOL OF DANCE
BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DANCE CONSERVATORY
GRADES 7-12
OVERVIEW
The Ballet Folklórico Dance Conservatory offers intensive training in the art of Mexican folk dance, emphasizing technique, body alignment, control, strength, and style. This program is designed to develop dancers who are well versed in folklórico technique and repertoire, classical ballet, modern, contemporary, amenco, and Spanish folk dance. Students receive training from ballet folklórico maestros, guest master artists, and university faculty. Ballet Folklórico Dance students learn repertoire from the various states and regions of Mexico and Spain, developing technical strength and artistry while also gaining appreciation for historical and cultural values.
CONSERVATORY LEADERSHIP
MARLENE PEÑA-MARIN
Director
714.560.0900 ext. 6860 marlene.penamarin@ocsarts.net
As an artistic director, choreographer, and dancer, Ms. Marlene Peña-Marin’s talent is recognized throughout the Mexican folk dance community. From an early age, she was immersed in the rich traditions of folklórico dance, leading to her training at La Escuela Nacional de Danza Folklórica del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. In 2003, she was appointed as the artistic and general director of Relámpago del Cielo Grupo Folklórico, which she has helped grow into one of the largest folklórico studios in the region. Ms. Peña-Marin has co-choreographed shows for the Disneyland Resort, including Disney ¡Viva Navidad! and A Musical Celebration of Coco. She continues to study folklórico dance through conferences sponsored by the Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos and the annual Seminario Transnacional de Danza. Ms. Peña-Marin’s dedication to ensuring the historical and cultural accuracy of the regions she presents is crucial to the success of the groups under her direction.
SAMPLE CURRICULUM
Ballet Folklórico Repertory
Ballet Folklórico Technique
Choreography Composition
Classical Ballet
Contemporary Dance
Flamenco
History of Dance
Modern
Understanding the Folklórico Genre
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES
The Ballet Folklórico Dance Conservatory presents an annual spring concert showcasing repertoire from the entire school year, as well as special choreographed pieces. Additional performance opportunities include a holiday-themed dinner show, the Danzantes Unidos Festival Showcase, a student choreography presentation, and various competitions. Students in grades 9-12 have the unique opportunity to audition for the award-winning performance group Las Estrellas, which is regularly invited to perform at charitable events throughout the community.