Latino dance group turns 15 – Tonatiuh in Salinas, California From: thecalifornian.com

In some Latin American countries, a girl’s 15th birthday is officially considered her transition from girl to woman. Tonatiuh, an east Salinas-based folklórico dance group turning 15 this year, is celebrating its artistic maturity with two dance concerts.

“Now Tonatiuh can get married,” Ramón Silva, artistic director of Tonatiuh, said jokingly during a rehearsal in the dance room of Alisal High School. “Our 15th anniversary represents the transition (of the group) from childhood to maturity. We are trying to go up to a professional level.”

Founded in 1993 by Silva when he returned to Salinas after completing a master of fine arts degree at the University of California, Irvine, Tonatiuh is member of the Alisal Center for the Fine Arts, a nonprofit that teaches and stimulates the participation of children and youth in the arts. Silva also teaches folklorico at Alisal High School.”*

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