KUNR Youth Media

Folkloric Ballet Creates Connection To Ancestry

KUNR Public Radio | By Veronica Garcia

Published September 15, 2017 at 3:21 PM PDT

Folkloric ballet is a traditional Latin American dance that focuses on local folk culture with ballet characteristics. Reno Youth Radio reporter Veronica Garcia explores the significance of Mexican folkloric ballet and expresses her love for dance.

Folkloric ballet is not just for a good time, but a good way to learn more of history.

"Like many forms of art, dance is a special way people can represent something, even from their past," Garcia says.

The male dancers wear silver suits and the female dancers wear long, colorful dresses.

The silver suits represent the pride of Mexico's past as a silver-producing country. The women's dresses represent the colorful atmosphere of Mexico.

"I started dancing when I was a little kid," Garcia explains. " I had always admired folkloric ballet because I always felt a certain connection and love for my ancestors."

Learn more about the KUNR Youth Media program

Each fall and spring semester, our dedicated program coordinator partners with the WCSD educator to mentor a select group of high school interns. The internship classes are typically from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the high school, providing a structured environment where students receive comprehensive instruction.

The students are taught radio journalism, broadcast journalism, and media production, gaining real-world professional experience that helps them develop career skills. Students work with media professionals to produce creative audio stories and elevate voices from our region.

As part of the program, students are offered the opportunity to tour KUNR’s facilities and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, where they will have the chance to record their broadcasts under the guidance of the WCSD educator and the program coordinator.

This semester-long project is designed to facilitate the airing of the students' stories on KUNR and the publication of their work on KUNR.org. Through this experiential learning approach, students gain valuable insights into public media and develop practical skills using industry-standard equipment.

The KUNR Youth Media Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring that students receive scholarly guidance on the standards and practices associated with audio journalism production.

Our program is committed to fostering a safe and constructive learning environment for all participants. KUNR is dedicated to nurturing the creative ideas of students in the program and, prior to publication, KUNR’s Managing Editor reviews all submitted work to ensure that it aligns with KUNR’s established media standards and expectations.

This program was formerly known as Reno Youth Radio.