By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Students at Austin Elementary School in Galveston presented their first annual Cinco De Mayo show Wednesday.
The chorus included 50 students who, staff members report, worked diligently to apply the theater skills learned throughout the course of the school year. The students are offered theater as an elective at Austin Elementary.
Children wearing swirls of green, red, pink, yellow, purple, white, black and other colors featured in traditional Ballet Folklórico took to the stage and performed musical renditions of traditional classics such “De Colores,” a song celebrating the beauty of all the colors found in nature.
The crowd roared with laughter when children dressed in chicken costumes came on stage to pantomime to another well-known song, “Pajaritos a Volar,” also known as “The Chicken Dance.”
Soon after the chicken song, came students dancing to Jarabe Tapatío, also known as “The Mexican Hat Dance,” which brought out applause.
The boys and girls danced to the left, the right, clapped twice and then demonstrated partner spins. The finale brought out even more applause as the dancing partners took their moment and bowed to their partners.
The show also included impersonators of popular Spanish music artists. As each impersonator came on stage, the crowd again roared with excited applause and laughter.
A Selena impersonator brought out the singing voices from the audience as did the young impersonator of Ritchie Valens who lip-synced to “La Bamba.”
Along with the joy of the children on stage, guests were treated to cotton candy and other treats one might find at a fiesta.
The evening’s event was under the leadership of Creative Director Jontae Brown and Technical/Musical Director Corey Mallory.
“We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of the students at Austin Elementary,” the directors said. “They have successfully completed three Main-Stage shows throughout this year, using all the tools they have gained in their theater classroom setting. We couldn’t be more proud of our Red Wolf Community, and we are overjoyed to continue our journey within our community and our Red Wolf productions.”
