Los Danzantes de Aztlan

Fresno State sophomore Jesus Cantu, right, and senior Dulce Hernandez show off the plaque won by Danzantes de Aztlan in Mexico recently. Adviser/instructor Victor Torres is in background.

Los Danzantes de Aztlan -- the pioneering Fresno State Mexican folkloric dance troupe -- won second place in the First Annual Binational Mexican Folkloric Dance Competition in Rosarito, B.C., Mexico , in November.

Los Danzantes competed against 11 groups from Tijuana , Rosarito, Ensenada and Michoacan , Mexico and California , said Dr. Victor Torres, troupe director and professor in the Chicano and Latin American Studies Department.

The competition was a first for the Fresno State team, which initially intended to use the contest as a learning experience, Torres said.

"Competing in Mexico , in a Mexican folkloric dance competition and placing, is a significant achievement for any U.S.-based group," he said. "Being our very first competition, this award is especially meaningful."

Troupe members now set their sights on traveling to Italy to compete at the Grand Prix Itatlie de Danza 2005 on June 23-27, Torres said.

Los Danzantes de Aztlan was founded in 1970 at Fresno State by Ernesto Martinez, a faculty member of the La Raza Studies Department, and has built itself as one of the leading Mexican folkloric dance companies in the Southwest.  It has toured Mexico and Spain , delivering a colorful expression of authentic Mexican folkloric dance.

The troupe is the only Mexican folkloric dance troupe officially recognized by the CSU system, said Torres.

"Los Danzantes de Aztlán plays a very important role in the Chicano/Latino community in terms of recruiting Latino students to Fresno State and promoting Fresno State 's diversity," he said.