Ballet Folklorico Ritmo Alegre / Medford, OR

Ballet Folklorico Ritmo Alegre is a dance troupe that specializes in the teaching and performing of regional folkdances from all over Mexico. Dances classes are available for students ages 3 and up and are taught in our studio located at Central Medford High School, Medford, Oregon. The group’s advanced dancers perform regularly in the community at festivals, parades, schools and other events. The Artistic Director, Luisa Zaragoza, is a credentialed folklorico dance instructor with a diploma from the National School of Dance in Mexico City.

The mission of Ritmo Alegre is to “Empower youth through dance and to serve as cultural ambassadors in our diverse community”. The group has its roots in a high school club started in 1994 at South Medford High School and in 2006, we became a community program. In 2014 the group was approved as a federally recognized nonprofit organization. We offer dance classes for mainly low income children and youth, serving about 120 dancers a year. Our performance troupe performs 30 or more times a year in local events. We are most proud of our performances in our 17 annual shows, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Green Shows, and Britt Festival Community Stage appearances.