In conjunction with the upcoming Mexico Semester, the kinesiology department will be offering a Folklorico Mexican Dance class.

Folklorico is a Mexican folk dance, which is a combination of the dance of the indigenous people and the dance of the Europeans, said Judy Schneider, instructor.

Dr. Pat Lipira, department head of kinesiology, said the themed semester was part of the idea to have the dance class.

“When we discovered that we were having the Mexico Semester, we knew that the way that the kinesiology department could chip into that would be dance related,” Lipira said.

“That’s why we chose to do it,” Schneider said.

Lipira said this semester the department is offering the International Folk and Social Dance class, which is taught by Schneider.

“We are really fortunate to have gotten her,” Lipira said.

She said she asked Schneider about the Mexico Semester and “what she would feel comfortable doing.”

“She is very excited,” Lipira said.

As one of the faculty members to go on the spring break trip to Mexico, Lipira saw a group perform the traditional dance of Mexico.

“Between me going to Mexico and seeing it and her [Schneider] agreeing that that is something she would like to do, she would feel real comfortable with that,” she said.

The class will be offered from 6:30 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. Thursdays, which fulfills the physical activity course, Kinesiology 101, in the core curriculum.

“We have tried to have as much variety in that 101 [class] as we can,” Lipira said. “With adding Judy Schneider, it’s opened up this opportunity to offer Kinesiology 101 classes in dance.”

She said the class would be offered in the evening, “hoping that faculty and staff would be interested.”

Along with the dances, there will be costumes.

“It is very difficult to do these dances without the costumes,” Lipira said.

“You can’t do folk dance without the costumes,” Schneider said. “That’s the part of the dance.”

The department received an Internationalizing the Curriculum grant to help buy costumes for the class.

“The costumes are critical for that type of dance,” she said.

Lipira thinks it is a good idea to have the themed semester.

“The themed semester has been nice,” she said.

She also thinks the idea to have the Folklorico Mexican Dance class is a “great” idea.

“The great thing about the class is it’s all semester,” she said.

Lipira said they would like to have a group perform during the fall semester.

She thinks the department will continue to offer the International Folk and Social Dance class.

“We can look at all kinds of cultures, all kinds of countries and their dances and music,” Lipira said.

The Folklorico Mexican Dance class, as far as offering it in the future, they are “playing it by ear,” Schneider said.

“[We would] try to have a dance class from every region,” Schneider said.

For more information on next semester’s class, contact Lipira at 625-9573.