Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - After being invited to sponsor the first generation of young and talented Teatro Vallarta scholarship students, Maria Jose Zorrilla said that last Sunday's presentation was 'an energetic and dynamic affair.'

She went on to thank the Entertainment and Culture Director of the Plexon Group, Salvador Luna Peña, who developed the Teatro Vallarta project, as well as Lic. Manuel Diaz Preciado, who sponsored the project as the general director of Plexon Group and owner of Teatro Vallarta.

Vallarta Lifestyles' Managing Editor, Paco Ojeda, was another enthusiastic sponsor of this grand event. Paco was excited to be on stage as he presented these talented young people to the audience and called for the continuation of these type of cultural projects that promote a taste for the arts. He also took the opportunity to invite everyone to next season's transmissions of the New York's Metropolitan Opera Company's "Live From The Met" broadcasts at Teatro Vallarta, where he will again be offering free lectures before each presentation.

It all started last March, when Teatro Vallarta launched an open call for Jazz, Ballet, African, Hip Hop and Folkloric dance beginners. Auditions were held for two consecutive weeks in search of scholarship students who wanted to become part of Fandango's resident company of dancers. The call was answered by 50 young people between the ages of 14 and 25, of which 20 talented beginners were selected for training. Teachers responsible for this arduous task were:

Classical Ballet: Ana Yvelitce Vasquez Rodriguez
Jazz: Xochil Medina Beltrán
Hip Hop: Daniel Renteria Ruiz
African: Lilly Alcántara Hense
Contemporary: Martin Alonso Ojeda Gudiño
Folkloric and Zapateado techniques: Salvador Luna Peña
Singing: Rolando Bárcenas Manso
Theater: Alberto Mora Piña
Kid's Summer Theater Courses: Adriana Perez Gonzalez and Joaquín Garrido Bustamante

Finally the big day arrived, and on Sunday August 31st, the young scholarship students and summer school children presented what they had learned over the last 5 months to their families, friends, and the general public who attended the presentation.

It all started with a performance that represented the indifference of people walking around town day after day without knowing each other until something in common unites us: the love of art. They continued with a 'musical times of love' presentation accompanied on piano by Maestro Rolando Barcenas. Then the pianist accompanied ballet teacher Ana Vasquez, who danced a neoclassical adage duet with Jonah Sanchez.

The presentation continued with the neo-classical ballet students demonstrating what they had learned over the Summer, followed by the little ones from the summer courses presenting two fables and two sketches, which were loudly applauded. The youth went on to present the Técnica Raza, a dance named after its creator Rafael Zamarripa. Between the light show, percussion drums, and the students' rhythmic footwork, the result was a sensual and rough mixture of jazz and hip hop performed to the song Run the World, that brought the audience to their feet in a standing ovation and concluded the first part of the show.

After a brief intermission, the second half of the show started with the students demonstrating the skills they had mastered in order to be part of the troupe for Fandango, a show that requires multifaceted dancers since the spectacular calls for performers to combine different dance techniques at the same time. Accompanied and supported by several principal dancers from the Fandango cast, the performance became an amalgam of experience and novice that ignited the audience, who responded with a standing ovation.

The finale was met with emotional applause and heartfelt appreciation that brought tears to the eyes and goose bumps to the flesh. These guys really showed that there is talent and desire for artistic and cultural activities in Vallarta, they just need to be supported so that they can be developed.

Teatro Vallarta is located in El Centro at Uruguay 184, just south of LEY'S grocery store on the main street as you enter downtown.