St. Francis de Sales Parish, Riverside, has had a prominent Hispanic community since its beginnings in 1886.
The parish’s school honored this heritage with the formation of its Grupo Folklórico in September, which performs traditional Mexican dance. The group most recently performed on May 7 in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.
Grupo Folklórico is made up of students of various grade levels and there are currently 28 students who participate.
The teachers are school staff, Janette Resendez-Pena and Veronica Resendez, who also happen to be sisters. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to teach students traditional dances from other countries,” said Resendez-Pena.