Celebrando el Ritmo

Celebrando el Ritmo (Celebrate the Beat) is an inspiring music and dance program serving over 500 1^st-9^th graders in six schools and in six towns. A Colorado based program, Celebrate the Beat, started in Riviera Nayarit seven years ago. Since then, the program has continued to grow and now services Sayulita, San Pancho, Lo De Marcos, San Ignacio, Higuera Blanca, and Punta De Mita. While Costa Verde International School is a participant of this program, most of the schools associated with Celebrate the Beat are public schools with underserved children from low-income families.

Founder and Artistic Director, Tracy Straus has been with Jacques d’Amboise’s National Dance Institute in New York City for the past twenty years. In 2000, she founded this highly acclaimed program in collaboration with the Associates of National Dance Institute. The mission of this program is to provide the highest quality inspirational in-school and after-school dance program that will motivate children to believe in themselves, improve physical health and well being, and establish a standard of excellence that will impact all aspects of their lives.

“Celebrando el Ritmo is an in-school program that is able to reach every child and bring them together as a team with their peers. We have a high success rate and the kids enjoy it,” said Colleen Macomber, Teaching Artist and Program Director in Nayarit. Colleen continued, “It’s all about mind, body, and spirit coordination. The children are constantly engaged, and they never know what is coming next. That’s the beauty of it. We teach new choreography and curriculum through games and we’re all about teaching them excellence. We teach them to have respect for each other and to be a better community member.”

Frida Feibel, a 6^th grader at Costa Verde shared why she likes Celebrando el Ritmo, “It has a lot of energy and we exercise, so it’s good for our body, and it is fun.”

Celebrando el Ritmo’s incredible staff includes Sara Muscarian and Jessica Zepeda, assistant dance teachers, Mario Garcia Preciado, drummer, and Roberto Godinez, piano/guitarist. A musician and two teachers accompany classes daily. This year’s theme is Los Rios Del Mundo (The Rivers of the World). Each class represents a river and learns about geography, rivers and cultures.

Each school receives the program for up to fifteen weeks, with one 45 minute class per week, and culminates in a performance at the end. Celebrate the Beat shows typically have up to 150 dancers performing with a live five-piece band.  They invite you to join them for their big show on March 26^th at 6:00 pm in San Pancho at the Plaza Del Sol with a fundraising celebration after. The show is free and open to the public.“We have high quality musicians and narrated songs and dances. People are amazed when they see the show,” proclaimed Colleen.

For more information about this program or to make a donation, visit their website, Celebrate the Beat, or contact Colleen Macomber at wildjuniperdesigns@gmail.com.

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