Students experienced culture, history and storytelling through music, dance and tradition.
On Cinco de Mayo, the sound of music filled Wylie East Intermediate, and for 30 minutes, the school day felt a little more like a celebration.
Ballet Folklórico de Alvaro Muñoz Academy performed for students on campus, bringing Mexican culture to life through colorful dresses, lively footwork, music and storytelling. For many students, Cinco de Mayo became more than a date on the calendar. It became something they could see, hear and feel.
Alvaro Muñoz, President, Executive Director and Artistic Choreographer of the academy, said sharing the performance with students is about both celebration and education.
“It’s important to promote our culture, to educate the kids,” Muñoz said. He also explained that Cinco de Mayo is often misunderstood. It is not Mexican Independence Day, but a commemoration of the Battle of Puebla between Mexico and France.
That learning came wrapped in music and movement. Muñoz said many of the dances help tell stories connected to tradition, while others focus on joy, courtship and the beauty of Mexican culture.
The Ballet Folklórico de Alvaro Muñoz Academy has deep roots in Abilene. The group traces its history back to 1963, when Abilene’s first Mexican ballet folklórico was founded at St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church. Today, the academy continues its mission of preserving Mexican culture through the art of dance.
For fourth graders, the performance made an immediate impression.
(L-R: Demetrio, Ezeoke, Jaxon)
Jaxon Anders said the event was “fun” and “cool,” even if it was a little loud - which, honestly, may be the official student review of any good celebration. He especially noticed the costumes.
“I liked that they were nice and colorful,” Jaxon said.
Ezeoke Munachiso noticed the effort behind the performance.
“I liked watching the dancers perform together and seeing all the footwork,” she said. Later, she added that she learned “it takes a lot of work to do all of that.”
For Demetrio Gutierrez, the performance connected even closer to home.
“I like it. It’s part of my culture,” Demetrio said. He shared that his mom has taught him some of the dancing, making it especially meaningful to see that part of his life shared at school with classmates.
That is the beauty of moments like this. One student may see bright dresses spinning across the floor. Another may notice the footwork. Another may recognize something that feels like family.
Wylie ISD staff member Tracy Gonzalez also has a personal connection to the tradition. Her daughters have been involved in ballet folklórico, including Layla, who has danced for seven years. Gonzalez shared that the academy is a large and committed group, with dancers from Abilene and beyond, and that the performers dedicate years to learning the art form.
At Wylie East Intermediate, the performance was more than an assembly. It was a reminder that learning does not always happen with a worksheet or a whiteboard. Sometimes it arrives with music, movement, bright fabric, quick feet and a story passed from one generation to the next.
And on Cinco de Mayo, students had the chance to experience that story together.
It was a colorful, meaningful reminder that culture is something to be shared, celebrated and carried forward - and moments like these are another reason it’s great to be a Wylie Bulldog.
