On Wednesday, February 22, 2017 all MHS Spanish students and some Eisenhower Elementary students experienced a different type of dance in the main theater. Starting at 9:30 am students reported to the theater with their tickets given to them earlier in the week. While arriving at the doors of the theater students were required to scan their ticket proving their attendance to the event.

    Patrice Olais, Newton High School art teacher and the coordinator for the Newton Azteca Dance Troupe, approached the stage and introduced her program involving the eight dancers there. She said they were to perform many different types of dances including dances from Vera Cruz, Coastal parts of Mexico. Emily Smith sophomore said, “I was actually surprised by the dancers, like I didn’t know what to expect.”

     Azteca dance is much different than normal everyday dance, they have specific dresses, colors, hats, and much more. They also have specific regions that their dances mimic including Vera Cruz. There attire is also very specific, the men wear all black or black pants with white shirts, their hats are either sombreros or black hats with tips. The tip of the hat surprisingly enough is to help with the sound of the dance. Now for the ladies the white dresses they wore were from Spain and very expensive, up to $120. The dresses from Spain were white, while the other dresses were much more colorful with blue, green, pink, and even yellow.

    The students dancing are from Newton High all seniors, except one sophomore who came as help and for her first performance. All the seniors have been dancing for years, and even their parents danced. They practice two times a week after school for two hours and then go to events like the one at the MHS. Not only do they work hard, but it pays off, these students get to go on a cruise over spring break and dance.

    Olais and these students helped to bring a little diversity to the MHS and shared their time and talents, so the students could learn something new and see something new.