Dance, music and food overpower fundraiser's opening night jitters at cultural center

By Melissa Dudum-Maya and Laura Sullivan

The Mission Cultural Center’s Youth Program held its first annual fundraiser on Dec. 4. The evening event featured performances by several of the program’s classes, including the theatre troupe, hip-hop dance group, and the Futuro Picante salsa band.

In past years, the Youth Program has put on the “End of Semester,” show without charge. Though, in an effort to raise extra funds for the classes, a $10 per ticket fee was implemented this year. Also, traditional Mexican food was made available for sale, including an enchiladas, rice and beans dinner for $4. Baked goods like cookies and cupcakes were offered for $1. Earnings from those sales also went directly to the Youth Program.

Jose Leon, youth program coordinator, said that at the center funds are needed to help keep classes on the roster, but also to purchase supplies such as mats for Capoeira and paint and glue for art. At the end of the night, Leon felt the show had turned out really well. “It was a success,” he said.

Earlier in the day Leon wasn’t so confident. “I wasn’t sure if anyone would come and I was freaking out because we had only sold twenty tickets as of this morning,” Leon said. “But in the end, everybody showed up, parents, non-parents; it’s great, ten dollars goes a long way here.”

Araceli Leon, Jose’s daughter, now a senior in high school, has participated in the Youth Programs since she was 7 years old. She’s “tried every class” and has met her closest friends through the center and retains the fondest memories. “The center has helped in my development as a person,” Araceli said. “I’ve grown up here.”

Tonight Araceli performed in Hector Zavala’s theatre group and with the Futuro Picante band. Zavala’s class showcased the traditional Mexican pastorelas. Used since the 1500s during the Spanish conquest of Mexico’s indigenous people, today the pastorelas continue to be a rich tradition of popular theatre that repeats each Christmas. The show is played out with Angels, devils and shepards, charged with humor and satire. It’s about a battle between good and bad, a constant fight in human nature.

“It was the first time we performed it together, using real props,” Araceli said of last-minute adjustments during the theatre performance. “We also had the wrong skirts, so we had to work with what we had, we improvised, just as Hector has always taught us.”

Another challenge Araceli faced was playing two characters in the same play, an angel and the shepherd’s wife. “I needed to find a way to really create two different characters so that the audience wouldn’t be confused,” Araceli said. “Hector, again, always tells us ‘this is your character, make it your own,’ and that’s what I did.”

Between brief breaks of being onstage, Araceli also ran around to make sure the rights groups were prepared to go on and in the right places. “Performances here are always chaotic,” Araceli said. “My role since I was seven has always been to help in anyway I can.”

Stephanie Owen’s hip-hop class went on to perform an upbeat dance with girls of all ages, ranging from 7 years of age to 17. After her performance, Daniel Delgado said she felt it went well overall, despite one small hang-up. “There was one part where the music was [accidentally] changed and I messed up,” Delgado said. “But mostly I think it went good.”

The last group to take the stage was Futuro Picante. Leon and Miguel Govea direct the 15-piece salsa band. The students both sing and play instruments, including the saxophone, conga, keyboard and electric guitar.

“In a hip-hop world, they want to play something more traditional and you have to give them credit,” Leon said.

The band ended the night with a powerful rendition of “Todo Tiene Su Final,” a song originally recorded by famed salsa singer, Hector Lavoe.

Leticia Sandoval’s brother, Ruben, plays the trombone with the group. “I thought it was excellent,” Sandoval said. “If you had your eyes closed you would think they were professionals, or adults, not kids playing.”