Written by Bailey Smith
The loss of former Middletown High School Spanish teacher Dora Lara, left the fate of the Baile Folklorico program unknown. However, it took an unsuspected health teacher to save the dance group and continue its legacy.
For years, Mrs. Lara had not only been teaching Spanish at MHS, but also developing a performing group that specialized in traditional Mexican dance. The group was cherished by both the school and the community, for their performances brought people together and joy to the town. The school sadly said goodbye to the wonderful Mrs. Lara in the 2023-2024 school year, causing her to make the transfer to Kelseyville High School.
When she first brought the sad news to her dancers, it was unsure if the program would be able to continue. Along with finding a new teacher, the school was already facing issues with funding extracurricular classes, complicating matters even more. All the program could do was advocate for the class and enjoy the last couple months of dancing with Mrs. Lara.
As the 2023-2024 school year closed, the urgency of the situation began to appear more clearly. Teachers, community members, and dancers began stepping in, speaking about the importance of this group and working to find a solution. Thanks to these efforts, a surprising solution arose.
Lara was able to get in contact with Ms. Gibson, the health teacher at MHS. Ms. Gibson was only finishing up her first year at Middletown High School, but was already well loved by the students and staff. Her open mind and positive attitude made her the perfect candidate to facilitate the Folklorico program, even if she had no prior experience with the subject. Gibson explains, “I didn’t feel pushed. Mrs. Lara came to me several times and she was like, 'You have the energy and you’re organized, I think you would be great for it' and then there was room in my schedule so I’m like 'why not, seems fun.'"
The start of this school year brought Baile Folkolorico back into action, this time with the new addition of Gibson. Now, it is important to note that this whole situation would be a different story if she had to actually act as an instructor for the group. Even with Lara, Baile Folkorico has always been very student driven which is one of the things that makes it so special.
“They just tell me what they need, because I got my older girls, the veterans who know the whole deal. I’m just here to support you,” Gibson tells. This has made her role in this much easier, especially since Lara is still the organizer for most out-of-school performances. Aside from school performances, Gibson mainly steps back and relies on the dancers to teach and build the group.
Her personality really shines through when she speaks of her experience with the class so far, exclaiming, “It’s fun! I like the music, everybody's positive. And it’s active, which I appreciate. Their costumes are beautiful.”
This shift for Baile Folklorico not only brings changes for Ms. Gibson, but has also had effects on returning dancers. MHS junior Holly McComas has been with the program since her freshman year of high school and has now returned as a TA for the class. Even with hesitations about dancing without Lara, Holly stepped in to teach the new girls. When asked about the differences this year, she commented,“Well, I’m in charge now. Also it’s a little bit more of a class rather than a group of friends. This year it’s more of an actual class.” Of course, it will never be the same without Lara, but Holly has found the positives and is excited to watch the dancers grow.
It is because of the kind heart of health teacher Ms. Gibson, the dedication of returning dancers, and the support from Mrs. Lara, that the Baile Folklorico program at Middletown High School has been able to carry on. The initial uncertainty of introducing Ms. Gibson to the class has been overridden by hope and excitement for opportunities to come.
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