Appearing at the Sierra Madre Playhouse on Saturday, June 14, 2025, Pacifico Dance Company provided the audience with beautiful dancing along with a lesson in their artform and Mexican culture. They filled the stage with joy, color and rhythmic delights in celebration of six states of Mexico as narrated by Ciani Núñez-Murillo.
The Sierra Madre Playhouse stage cannot accommodate the entire Pacifico Dance Company ensemble, but, from the loud applause and shouts of ‘Viva Mexico’ heard throughout the show, it was clear that the six company members did not in any way disappoint.
Pacifico Dance Company – Photo by Gennia Cui.
“Sonaja y Jarabe,” restaged by Adriana Gainey, represented the state of Michoacán, located in western Mexico with a stretch of coastline on the Pacific Ocean, consisted of two lively but brief solos. “Primera Sonaja” performed by Renata Cuevas and “Jaraba” danced by Zarene Marie Núñez to traditional Mariachi music by Los Toros. Cuevas was wearing an off-white dress that accented her many soft turns and a maraca or chac-chac (rattle) which added to her accurate rhythmic footwork. Núñez’s solo was also an endless series of turns and fast footwork but made more complex by the lifting of her knees. Núñez’s dress that was rich with color, was a wonderful contrast to Cuevas’ all white.. Both solos made for an exciting opening to draw in the audience.
“Fiesta Calentana” was two courting duets choreographed by Adriana Gainey to traditional music by Grupo Nahucalli. The first duet “El Toro” presented the state of Guerrero, also located in southwest Mexico bordering the state of Michoacán. Like its title, the dance was celebrating the bull fights with the man (Adrian Maldonado) acting as the bull. Instead of flashing a red cape, the woman (Alina Isabel Hernández) constantly spun a bright blue handkerchief to entice the bull as he pranced and tumbled around her.
62nd L.A. County Holiday Celebration – Pacifico Dance Company – Photo courtesy of the artists
The second duet, “La Iguana” was more of a traditional courtship dance with both Maldonado and Hernández executing fast footwork as they flirted with one another and eventually ran off together. Both duets were wonderfully and energetically performed.
Next, we traveled to Chiapas, the southernmost state in Mexico, with “Calido Chiapas” choreographed by Adriana Gainey and restaged by Zarene Marie Núñez to traditional music by Chiapas Gallos. “Calido Chiapas” consisted of four women dressed in very colorful floral dresses and hats rimmed with red roses. Here there was a series of soft, slow turns during which the women rhythmically and sharply tilted their heads to the right. It was fascinating to watch the several rhythms being executed in this intricate trio while their movement covered the entire stage. The stunning performers were Maya Ramirez, Landyn Slominsky, and Zarene Marie Núñez.
“Fandango Veracruzano” featured three short dances to showcase the culture of Veracruz, located in eastern Mexico.
Pacifico Dance Company – Photo by Will Tee Yang
“El Coco,” choreographed by Adriana Gainey to traditional music by Los Cojolites and restaged by Zarene Marie Núñez, was the first work performed by the entire ensemble of six dancers. The all-white costumes reflected a wedding or a young woman’s first communion. The women wearing long dresses with bands of white satin and the man in white pants and jacket was filled with complex groupings, turns and, again, gorgeous fast footwork.
Featuring Zarene Marie Núñez and Adrian Maldonado as husband and wife to be, the ensemble performed Gainey’s “La Bamba” as restaged by Zarene Marie Núñez. Weaving in and out of Gainey’s intricate patterns and demonstrating the company’s signature fast footwork, the highlight of “La Bamba” was when Núñez and Maldonado used only their feet to fold a long red ribbon into a large bow. That was amazing.
Next came the ensemble performing Matthew de Leon’s work “El Gavilan,” also restaged by Núñez. The piece began with only the sound of rhythmic footwork before it opened up to the traditional music by Patricio Hidalgo. Here, the turns and footwork were enhanced by complex arm and hand gestures, again visualizing the several rhythms within the work. The movement was very sensual and the women were actually flirtatious. It was a subtle yet welcomed change of mood.
Pacifico Dance Company – Photo courtesy of the company
Traveling northwest to a part of Mexico called Chihuahua, Joel Sandoval’s “La Loca” featured Landyn Slominsky, Renata Cuevas and Adrian Maldonado dancing to traditional music by Desafio Norteno that had a strong flavor of a German polka. We were told that many Germans settled in Chihuahua at the end of World War II, so that would explain the influence. While the two women were wearing the more traditional dresses, Maldonado’s costume appeared to be influenced by the Texas cowboy. Or perhaps it was the other way around? The footwork and the lifting of knees also gave this work the feeling of dancing the polka.
“Viva Jalisco!” took us to our last stop, Jalisco, located in western Mexico. Performed by Adrian Maldonado and Alina Isabel Hernández, with Maya Ramirez, and Landyn Slominsky “Jarabe Tapatio” was a very lively courtship dance to Mariachi music. The narrator, Ciani Núñez-Murillo informed us that the women’s costumes were Spanish influence while the man’s was a traditional suit of the horseman; all black with silver coins running down the side of his pants and wearing a black and silver sombrero. Full of energy and fast paced pattern shifting, “Jarabe Tapatio” brought the dancers and the audience with clapping and shout of ‘Viva Mexico.’
Again, the beautiful and talented dancers of Pacifico Dance Company included Adrian Maldonado, Alina Isabel Hernández, Maya Ramirez, Landyn Slominsky, Renata Cuevas, and Zarene Marie Núñez with Ciani Núñez-Murillo as Narrator.
It is truly wonderful to see the Sierra Madre Playhouse adding dance to their programing. I highly encourage everyone to support their efforts by attending. You will not be disappointed.
To see what else is happening at the Sierra Madre Playhouse and to purchase tickets, please visit their website.
To learn more about Pacifico Dance Company, please visit their website.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Pacifico Dance Company – Guerrero Trio – Photo courtesy of the company.
