Students and staff gathered on the Blacktop to participate in the Caballo Dorado line dance at lunch on Wednesday. The event coincided with Mexican Independence Day and captured the spirit of celebration as students continued festivities beyond the planned dance.
The celebration was organized by Leadership to honor the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. “We wanted to show how our Hispanic heritage students and Latinos can feel welcome at school,” sophomore and Leadership event organizer Airam Zamora said.
To honor Mexican independence, many students dressed in the colors of the Mexican flag and wore jerseys from the country’s soccer team. One student also sported a sweatshirt that read, “Raised by Immigrants.”
“Being Hispanic is more than just a race. It’s a source of pride, and [Hispanic students] should be in power of what their month is, and they should be happy about celebrating their culture,” Zamora said.
To kick off the festivities, students gradually found their way to the dance floor during “No Rompas Mi Corazón.” Joined by teachers and staff, the group filled the Blacktop and settled into the steady rhythm of the steps—two right, two left, two backward, and two forward, before rotating 90 degrees to the left and repeating. After a few minutes, dancers picked up the pace with “Payaso de Rodeo” by Caballo Dorado, repeating the same steps at a much faster speed.
El Caballo Dorado is a dance that emerged in the 1990s, when the Mexican band, Caballo Dorado, released a Spanish-translated cover of “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus and titled it “No Rompas Mi Corazón.” After their success, the band released a fast-paced song, “Payaso de Rodeo,” to accompany a quicker version of the dance. Nowadays, you can see it danced at Mexican parties, weddings, and quinceañeras.
“The music was really great, and [it was] just a really fun time to learn a new dance that I don’t know,” senior Sonia Haggie said. “I thought it was really fun just to dance with a bunch of people.”
Following the exhilaration and workout of “Payaso de Rodeo,” attendees requested and danced to other songs like “La Chona” by Los Tucanes de Tijuana, “La Iguana” by Dinastya Angelito, and “La Vivora De La Mar” by Los Indomables. Dancing in pairs and, later, in a circle, students kept up energy, showing off their skills and steps. Eventually, The M-A Bear mascot joined in to provide encouragement and candy to those dancing.
The dance was a meaningful way to celebrate Mexican and Hispanic heritage. “I think that’s important because it shows how, through music and just events like these, people can come together,” sophomore Katherine Barrios said. “Even as strangers, they can vibe to music.”
