Pender County students enjoy an evening in Downtown Wilmington, some for the first time

WILMINGTON (WWAY) — Students from Heide Trask High School in Rocky Point enjoyed an evening in Downtown Wilmington on Wednesday.

For some, it was their first time visiting the city.

Tracey Podolinsky is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at the high school.

She took twenty-seven of her students to Wilmington to see the Wilson Center’s showing of ‘Navidad’.

The students first ate dinner at El Cerro Grande restaurant, before making their way to the college campus.

‘Navidad’ is a music and dance performance put on by the Calpulli Mexican Dance Company.

It explores the holiday traditions of a young person of Mexican immigrant parents who grows up in New York City with a duality of cultures – one at home and one at school, according to the performing arts center.

The performance combines the two cultures, fusing Mariachi music with Tchaikovsky, and folk dance with ballet.

Podolinsky has more than eighty students in her ESL program this school year.