ABAJO DEL SOMBRERO

"Under the hat"

Christopher Micheal Sandoval 

     At 9 years old, my mother placed me in a “folklorico” community class to help me discover my cultural identity on a deeper level, and today I am grateful to serve the communities I work in to do the same for other youth and more. My investigation and training comes from being self-taught and working under and with major influencers such as Cecilio de Castro, Rafael Valpuesta, Gema Sandoval, and Maria Luisa Colmenarez. I earned most of my folklorico training and directing as a part of Danza Folklorica Puro Corazon and Ballet Folklorico de California State University, Fullerton. I have taught Folklorico for 8 years across the southwest as well as Zumba, Bachata, Salsa, and Cumbia for the past 2 years. I currently live in the West Bay Area and direct a TK-4th grade dance program at KIPP Excelencia Community Prep. I have focused my folklorico growth in San Jose teaching in partnership with Los Lupenos de San Jose, G.F. Laureles de San Jose, and currently the Co-artistic director of Xochitl Cultural at Lincoln High School.

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