Flor de Hidalgo brings Mexican dance traditions to Cape Fear Latino Festival
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Mexican folklore dance group from Raleigh is helping young dancers connect with their cultural roots while sharing traditional music and dance with communities across North Carolina.
Flor de Hidalgo recently performed at the Cape Fear Latino Festival in Wilmington, participating in the parade and showcasing traditional Mexican dances in colorful, handmade dresses.
Crystall Ticante, a member of the group, said Flor de Hidalgo brings together girls and women of all ages, beginning at just 5 years old, to celebrate Mexican culture through dance.
“Our performances are mostly musical-driven. They’re definitely done with a lot of heart. Our girls give everything they have. They love their culture, and it’s so beautiful seeing the young girls learning their Mexican culture, their Mexican heritage,” Ticante said.
The group’s dances and costumes reflect traditions from different regions of Mexico, including Hidalgo and Sinaloa.
Ticante explained that traditional outfits vary by region. Hidalgo-style costumes often feature white dresses, while the group also performs dances from Sinaloa in colorful dresses handmade in Mexico.
“They’re very vibrant and they look just like flowers, you know, floating. They’re very beautiful,” Ticante said.
Although Flor de Hidalgo is based in Raleigh, the group maintains connections to Hidalgo, Mexico, through its dance instructor and collaborations with dance groups there.
Ticante said the group has been invited to perform at the Cape Fear Latino Festival multiple times, giving its dancers an opportunity to share their traditions with audiences from different cultural backgrounds.
“We got to come do the parade and perform. It’s an amazing experience bringing together the different cultures of all the different people and all the different,” Ticante said.
For many of the younger dancers, the experience is about more than performing.
Ticante said some of the girls have never visited Mexico, making the dance group an important way for them to learn about their heritage and carry those traditions forward.
“Some of them haven’t had a chance to go to Mexico, so they learn it here, and they can pass that on to their generation, so it’s… it’s kind of like a tradition,” Ticante said.
Ticante said her own connection to Mexican culture began through her family. Her husband is Mexican, and their daughter is Mexican-American.
She said participating in the group has given her an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the traditions alongside the dancers.
As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, Ticante said the performances offer a way to bring people from different backgrounds together.
“It’s really heartfelt, like the day. Everything is from the heart. They do everything from the heart. They always help each other out. So it’s really beautiful to celebrate this in the United States, the Hispanic Heritage Month. It is something very important and it brings not together just the Hispanics, but it also brings all the cultures together,” Ticante said.
Flor de Hidalgo also has performances planned in Raleigh, including a school event and a Day of the Dead celebration with Revista Latina.
Ticante said the group would welcome the opportunity to return to Wilmington for next year’s Cape Fear Latino Festival.
