The Ángela Peralta Theater became a vibrant melting pot of creativity and artistic vocation when it welcomed hundreds of students to the third edition of the successful “Encounter with the Arts” event. Organized by the Instituto Municipal de Cultura, Turismo y Arte de Mazatlan through the Municipal Center for the Arts (CMA), this unique program offered young people an immersion in various artistic disciplines, presenting the CMA as a solid and stimulating educational option for their future.
More than 600 students from various local educational institutions, including Solidaridad Secondary School, Valladolid School, Ibero-American Multiversity School, Mariano Escobedo Secondary School 4, Cuauhtémoc Secondary School 6, Conalep Mazatlán 1, Cobaes 119, Cetis 127, the Mexican Institute of High Learning, Bambinos School, Miguel Hidalgo Secondary School, and the Américas Institute, actively participated in this event.
The event was attended by Alina Quintero Morales, Maribel Chollet Morán, My La Quintero Beltrán, members of the council, and Raúl Rico González, General Director of the Instituto Municipal de Cultura, Turismo y Arte de Mazatlan, who witnessed the positive impact this event had on young students.
Liliana Aréchiga Pérez, Educational Director of the CMA, warmly welcomed the attendees and highlighted the importance of the arts in the integral development of individuals.
The arts are important in life because they allow us to express ourselves, foster connection with others, and develop skills such as empathy and creativity. Furthermore, they help us understand the world from diverse perspectives through movement, colors, letters, and sounds, allowing us to learn about and appreciate the cultures and ethnicities that have enriched our history, said Aréchiga Pérez.
An Immersive Experience in the World of Art
From early hours, the students had direct and fascinating contact with art. Upon their arrival at the CMA, they were greeted by students from the center, who enthusiastically shared the knowledge and skills they had acquired during their school years.
The visit began with a demonstration of the art of voice dubbing, which immediately captured the attention of the students. They then toured the CMA facilities, where they attended visual arts classes, enjoyed live musical performances, and appreciated the “Eclipse Mazatlán” exhibition at the Rubio Gallery. The highlight of the day was a vibrant performance at the Ángela Peralta Theater.
Instructor Martha Castillo led the event in the theater, enthusiastically introducing each of the artistic performances. Students of theater, contemporary dance, classical ballet, music, singing, and folklore dazzled the audience with their talent and dedication.
The stage came alive with the presentation of the play “Sie7e” by students in their final semester of the Technical Program in Theater Arts, telling the entertaining story of a group of friends on their first visit to the zoo. The Mazatlán Professional Dance School presented the moving piece “Amen,” choreographed by Nathalí Aragón, performed by Tania Lucia Morales, Valentina Martin, Ángel Romero, and Citlaly Solano.
Dancers from the Mazatlán Ballet Company, Stephany Martínez and Gean Lee Panchi, performed an excerpt from the play “Spartacus,” with music by Aram Jachaturiam and a production by Zoila Fernández based on the original by Yuri Grigorovich. The CMA Youth Orchestra, conducted by maestro Juan Carlos Chavarría, delighted the audience with the “20th Century Fox Fanfare” and the moving “Granada,” performed by soprano Vanessa Gamma. An energetic medley of mambos by the legendary Dámaso Pérez Prado concluded the orchestra’s performance.
The Instituto de Cultura Youth Ballet, under the direction of Maestro Javier Arcadia, brought the artistic presentation to a close with a vibrant Sinaloa sound, performing iconic songs such as “Mazatlán,” “El sauce y la palma,” and “El coyote.”
Before the event concluded, faculty members from the various programs offered at the CMA (Music, Singing, Visual Arts, Cinematography, Contemporary Dance, Classical Ballet, Literature, Folklore, and Theater) participated in a question-and-answer session, interacting directly with the students and answering their questions about the world of culture and the arts.
The “Encounter with the Arts” proved to be an invaluable platform for inspiring young people and showing them the possibilities offered by an artistic education, thus fostering local talent and enriching Mazatlán’s cultural landscape.
