BY MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Despite his Mexican heritage, Allen Arredondo admitted he struggled four years ago to explain what folklorico entailed, the cultural significance behind the dances or the varying elements that comprised a set.
“My parents didn’t even know what it was,” Arredondo said.
Now a senior and president of Grupo Folklorico Jaguar, the Edinburg Economedes running back can draw several parallels behind his two biggest passions.
“With folklorico, there’s a lot of footwork, a lot of endurance in the thighs, calves,” he said. “And football gives me the conditioning to keep up with the dances, staying alive and getting the crowd into it. It’s basically cultural music, Mexican tradition — the story of how we used to live back in the days of our ancestors. It’s really fun.”
Arredondo represents a growing number of Edinburg Economedes football players who have heeded coach Gabe Peña’s advice to get “a well-rounded high school experience” by joining other sports or after-school programs. Arredondo, for one, believes it has not only enhanced his past four years at Economedes, but that it has also contributed to his performances on the football field, where he has earned all-district honors.
Initially, however, Arredondo wasn’t certain what he was getting into when his friend and football teammate, Mike Medellin, encouraged him to try out for folklorico. Medellin grew up in a household where everyone performed at an early age, and he assured Arredondo he would enjoy it, as well.
Eager to boost his college resume, Arredondo tried out. And soon after he found himself learning choreography for roughly 20 songs spanning more than an hour, all while juggling academics and football.
“It’s a lot,” Arredondo said, “but it’s very beautiful. It’s not hard if you love it. It’s like with football: I don’t forget the plays because it’s something I love. With folklorico, it’s the same thing.”
As part of the school’s folklorico team, Arredondo and Medellin have earned regional and national recognition. Medellin has also performed with dance groups outside the school. The highlight, he said, was performing at city hall for Cinco De Mayo.
Though most of their time is currently devoted to football, they’ve begun to incorporate ballet and swing sets to their modern folklorio pieces, which they hope to perform at the Acadez USA competitions, usually hosted in the San Antonio area.
With football, the two all-district picks are expected to shoulder the rushing load for Economedes, which opens the season tonight against Brownsville Hanna.
Though Medellin plans to pursue track and field in college, he said folklorico has taught him a valuable lesson in time management. A 800-meter relay regional qualifier, Medellin said he learned to focus in whatever he takes on, so as not to do it twice. If successful, he can allow himself to take Sundays off from his obligations.
Arredondo believes folklorico, like football, has many moving parts. Everyone is assigned a different task, he said, from the performers playing instruments to those dancing.
“A lot of the dances tell stories about our people and about the days of our ancestry,” Arredondo said. “Some of them are about the Mexican Revolution, soldiers parting from their families. Some can be love stories, where the guy robs the girl and comes back and asks for forgiveness. Then they throw a party, which is the wedding.
“It’s all about expression. All of it tells a story about the culture. Every state has a story, and every dance shows that story.”
With his final year of performing coming up, Arredondo said he’s most looking forward to traveling to competitions and annual shows the team puts on for their parents.
“When you’re out there, you could see their faces and how into it they get. It feels good,” Arredondo said. “Just knowing you’re doing something they like — the music, the culture — it feels good.”