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The shining stars of SoLunita

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Fluttering about excitedly like little butterflies at the discovery of their newfound, colorful wings, a bevy of niñas delights at the sight of their newfound, colorful costumes.
Bright, beautiful and vibrant, the new dresses just in from Yucatan - with their hues of deep pink, red, green, gold and blue — appropriately reflect this group of children and the traditional art form they are now learning: folklorico.
This is the new SoLunita group — children’s Mexican folk ballet — and as their name suggests, these dozen or so girls and five boys represent the latest accomplishment of the local folklorico troupe, SoLuna (Sun and Moon).
Although the “grown-ups” in SoLuna have — and continue to — experienced much success in their dancing and numerous folklorico dance contest victories, they say the true prize comes in passing on this cultural art form to the next generation.
“When we are on stage, what do we do?” asks Dario Fonseca, co-founder, co-director and dance instructor of SoLunita, while standing in command in front of his little dancers.
“Do we poke our nose?”
Laughter.
“Do we frown?”
More giggles.
“No, no, we smile — why? Because we are proud to be here and we want to dance! ¡Otra vez, niños!” Fonseca tells his pint-sized charges as they dutifully follow their leader.
SoLunita meets each Wednesday evening for one-hour rehearsals in the converted garage/dance studio at Fonseca’s northwest Bakersfield home. They’ve done this over the last year, culminating with their first performance at the 2008 Kern County Fair.
“That was our big moment — it was a huge deal to have them debut to a fun-filled crowd over the summer,” said Manuel Fonseca, Dario’s twin brother as well as general director and co-founder of SoLunita. “They might have been a little nervous, but they didn’t show it — they were great and we were all so proud.”
The Fonseca brothers are the driving force behind both SoLuna and SoLunita, but they don’t do it alone.
Familia participation in both groups extends to the Fonsecas’ father, Guillermo, who tailors the costumes himself by hand; Dario’s wife, Ana, a dancer herself; and the couple’s two daughters, Celeste, 8, and Jazmin, 4, dance for SoLunita.
SoLunita grew out of popular demand from parents interested in their children becoming active participants in the SoLuna ballet, according to Manuel Fonseca.
“Talk about continuing the tradition and promoting our culture through art, music and dance for generations to come!” he said.
The Fonsecas — longtime professional dancers who came to Bakersfield from the Bay Area — also hope SoLunita, which officially started Sept. 20, 2007, will one day serve as a “talent feeder” for SoLuna, which the Fonsecas established in 2005.
As the SoLunita kids stomp out and twirl their dance moves on the studio’s hardwood floor on this cool winter evening, the parents line the edges of the room, their faces beaming with pride.
For many of them, that pride comes from a combination of seeing their child develop as a dancer while knowing their child is also developing a sense of heritage.
“It’s important to me that my girls learn about their culture,” said Mayela Guerrero, mother of four daughters — Sophia, 11; Natalia, 6; Angelina, 3; and Catalina, 15 months (the oldest two are in SoLunita). “This is a way for them to learn their culture where they look forward to the next class and learning the next dance.
“I want folklorico to be passed down so it is never forgotten — it’s so beautiful, it should never be forgotten.”
For mother Veronica Guerra, watching her 9-year-old daughter, Melanie, learn the folklorico steps is a point of pride and a fulfillment of her own dream.
“I wanted to learn folklorico, but didn’t have the opportunity,” she said. “But my daughter does and she loves it — she loves the dresses, the make-up, the hair, all of it!”
Guerra also appreciates the work ethic that SoLunita and the Fonsecas pass on to the mini dancers.
“Melanie works very hard on her dancing on her own because she wants to do well here,” Guerra said. “She’ll go in the backyard, then turns on the music and works on the steps that Dario has taught her — that’s another reason why I love this, the kids are learning discipline and how to work for something you want.”
Needless to say, Melanie — who lives just down the street from her dance teacher — anxiously awaits each Wednesday night.
“This is so much fun — I just walk down the street and I’m here!” said the Norris Elementary fourth-grader.
Melanie is also learning the art of stage presence.
“It’s kind of hard sometimes when you are performing and I get a little nervous, but then I get up in front of the people and I’m not nervous any more,” she said.
The parents also appreciate the sense of family found among the dancers, their teachers and the entire SoLunita operation.
“They make all the families here feel like one big family,” Guerra said. “They are patient, kind and you feel welcomed.”
For the Fonsecas, the feeling is mutual.
“Everyone here is like our extended family,” said Dario Fonseca. “We’re all connected by the dancing, the culture and more.”
And very much like a caterpillar goes from cocoon to butterfly — changed in so many ways but rooted in its origins — the SoLunita dancers spread their wings, flutter about and take flight as they skillfully dance folklorico and happily absorb their cultura.
A beautiful sight to behold ...