Peshastin Library's summer series brings Mexican folklórico dance to North Central Washington youth
- Renee Diaz
- Jul 5, 2025
- 3 min read
By Reneé Dìaz
Wenatchee World
In Peshastin, children aged 8 to 12 are learning folklórico, a traditional Mexican folk dance, through the Peshastin Library's summer series. Families from across the North Central Washington region attend these free classes to explore the richness of Mexican folklore.
Sonia Arellano , mother to one of the dancers, Melanie, who is 8 years old, shared that her daughter loves to dance and is always playing Latino music at home. When she found the event in a newspaper, she thought it would be a great opportunity for Melanie to learn more about her culture.
"I saw they were offering this, and I said this is great. When I saw it was set in Peshastin, I thought, "I drive for other things, why not do it for my daughter," said Arellano.
Sandy Zárate, who's been dancing for 27 years, teaches the classes. Zarate owns the SanZár Dance Company and is passionate about sharing her culture with youth. She has taught for seven years and started collaborating with the library three years ago.
"Mexican folklórico has many benefits. One of the principal objectives is to reaffirm that Mexican children belong and their culture is rich. For those who are not Mexican, these classes provide an opportunity to be part of the marvelous art of Mexican folklore," said Zárate.
Mexican folk dance, or danza folklórico Spanish, has been passed down through generations. Each of Mexico's 31 regions has its own style of dance.
"I saw they were offering this, and I said this is great. When I saw it was set in Peshastin, I thought, "I drive for other things, why not do it for my daughter," said Arellano.
Sandy Zárate, who's been dancing for 27 years, teaches the classes. Zarate owns the SanZár Dance Company and is passionate about sharing her culture with youth. She has taught for seven years and started collaborating with the library three years ago.
"Mexican folklórico has many benefits. One of the principal objectives is to reaffirm that Mexican children belong and their culture is rich. For those who are not Mexican, these classes provide an opportunity to be part of the marvelous art of Mexican folklore," said Zárate.
Mexican folk dance, or danza folklórico Spanish, has been passed down through generations. Each of Mexico's 31 regions has its own style of dance.
In the summer series, Zárate teaches two types of dance: Calabaceados de Baja California, which originates from the northern Mexican state of Baja California. This upbeat dance involves loud stomping, imitating the kicking of bucking cattle or horses. Danza de ferrocarrileros, known as the dance of the railroad operators, is from Aguascalientes. This dance simulates a train with workers performing maintenance on it.
Children attend these classes twice a week for an hour. Beyond dance steps, Zárate sees these classes as an opportunity for children to practice Spanish.
"In spaces outside of this classroom, children are mainly speaking English. Here I reinforce Spanish through my classes, children can connect the language with dance, and they have the opportunity to be bilingual. Kids are also interacting with kids their age, here they can learn from one another," said Zárate.
Clare Morrison, the branch librarian at NCW Libraries, said the community's reaction has been overall positive.
"Folks are excited to see something offered in the upper valley. We have families coming from Cashmere and Wenatchee. The kids have been enjoying it. Sonia is an interactive and dynamic teacher. You see that in how kids interact," said Morrison.
The classes are part of NCW Libraries' Latinx Services, a department aimed at connecting the Latinx community with local resources. The students will showcase their choreography in a final performance on August 17th, with the location and time to be determined.
Due to construction at the Peshastin Library, the classes are held at the Peshastin Dryden Elementary School gym on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
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