Bailes de Mi Tierra showcases Mexican culture through music, dance and folklore​

BALTIMORE --- For nearly two years, inside Baltimore's Patterson Park High School, you may have heard some rhythm, lots of music and culture fill the air. 

Bailes de Mi Tierra is one of the few Mexican folk dance groups based in Baltimore. Their mission is to promote and preserve Latin American and Mexican traditions through music, dance and folklore.

"This is the way we get to connect with our culture. This is how we learn," said José Reyes, the director and founder of Bailes de Mi Tierra. "We're showcasing the beauty of our culture, the tradition, the hard work, the discipline."

The repertoire at Bailes de Mi Tierra includes dances from several regions of Mexico; Sinaloa, Jalisco, Veracruz, Norte (which includes dances from Chihuahua and Tamaulipas), as well as tropical dances such as Cha-Cha-Cha, Mambo and Cumbia.

On the stage

Since 2008, Bailes de Mi Tierra has performed in and around Baltimore at venues such as The Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, the National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. 

The group, made up of all ages, is known for its vibrant dances, colorful costumes and lively music.

"We're not just friends," said Reyes. "We've become a family." 

But when they put on their costumes and hit the stage, it's for more than just a performance, it is a way to educate and showcase their culture.

"El Harabe Tapatio. Everyone knows it. You just know it as a different name in English, it's called the Mexican Hat Dance," Reyes explained. 

Meaning of the costumes

Last week, WJZ stopped by a rehearsal and the dancers explained the meaning of one of their costumes.

"This is from the state of Jalisco in Mexico. They're known for their bright colors, their ribbons, their ribbons, their hair and their braids," said Ariel Batt-Martinez, a longtime dancer and student at Bailes de Mi Tierra.

Batt- Martinez,18, said she has been dancing with the group for more than 15 years. She said each cloth, ribbon and performance tells a story of a different part of their heritage.

"I am excited to share this and for people to learn what each state wears and how they dance, because each day dances and has a different costume," said Batt-Martinez.

"We mainly do dances for Mexico, but we do have a couple of songs from Colombia, South America. We have some from Puerto Rico. We have something a little more modern in rock and roll," added Reyes. "We have a piece with Selena."

"All our Latinos are different, our different cultures and this is just a way of us showing just a little piece of who we really are," said Yvette Batt-Reyes, the assistant director at Bailes de Mi Tierra. 

Passion to learn

It doesn't matter how old or young you are or where you come from, as long as you have a passion and heart to learn. 

"A lot of people come to this group not knowing how to dance at all, and they pick up really fast,"  said Batt-Martinez. "They learn and at the same time, too, you don't have to be Mexican or Hispanic to be in this group. Anybody could be in this group."

For each dancer, everything they do goes beyond one month. It spans an entire lifetime. 

"I mean, it's not just about Hispanic Heritage Month. I feel like it's just the beauty of Mexico that we get to share year-round all the time, such as other cultures like to do," said Batt-Martinez. 

"We have culture, we have traditions. And we are trying to teach everyone, show them who we are as a community, or as Latinos, as Hispanics," said Reyes.

Because Bailes de Mi Tierra is about preserving and protecting a piece of who they are and sharing it with the world.

To learn more about Bailes de Mi Tierra or to find out where they'll be performing next, you can visit their website here.