The Big Wrap Up! - Week 53

Welcome Back!  Mauritania checked out the blog this week! Thank you and welcome! The blog continues to grow! It's funny how these things go.  Last week I announced that week 52 was my "official" last post of the One Big Wedo blog. I made a one year weekly commitment in January 2013 to write about all my folklorico experiences on a weekly basis.  I stuck with it and accomplished that goal.  Apparently, all you have to do to increase readership is to announce "the end" because I had people come out of the woodwork to read it this week. Better late than never I suppose!
 

 

Although I plan on continuing posting from time to time, I wanted to wrap up the "official" 52 week blog by providing my readers with the blog stats and some closing thoughts and reflections on the past year.  What a year it has been!  I thought maybe I would reach 7000 to 7500 readers by the end of the year.  I am pleased to say that as of this posting, I have had 9797 page views!  I am shocked.  I find it mind boggling at times, that people actually take the time to read these posts. Who knew a white man dancing Mexican folklorico would turn so many heads! It got people's attention! Blogger's tracking charts show a steady growing audience from the beginning to now. Thank you to everyone who has read the blog and made it a success.  You make it all worth it.
 

Several months ago, on week 27, I put out a friendly competition to all the countries around the globe and challenged them to read, read, read. The blog stirred up a frenzy and was received all around the world. So how did things end up?  Which countries read and followed the blog the most? Here is a list of the top ten countries who embraced the Wedo:

 

1.)  United States of America

2.)  Russia

3.)  Germany

4.)  France

5.)  Canada

6.)  United Kingdom

7.)  South Korea

8.)  Mexico

9.)  Poland

10.)  China

Of course there were many others who checked out the blog.  Here's a list of all the countries that read the blog.  From my calculations, there are 73 total:

Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Maldives, Mauritania, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela, Vietnam

My goodness!  I really need to brush up on my geography!  That's a lot of countries!  There's still a whole lot more out there too!  Keep sharing the blog and let's see if we can reach them all!  I believe it can and will happen!  I'm still open to a world tour!  Who wants to host the Wedo and dance group. Have boots, will travel!
 

As far a the posts themselves, Week 31's "Modern Folklorico Dancing" took the #1 spot for all time most read post.  It also generated a lot of feedback. To be honest, I was surprised that so many folks read it.  It wasn't even one of my personal favorites.  In fact, I felt that I didn't do a good job explaining myself and that I came off as somewhat contradicting. But I'm my biggest critic and people understood the message the way I intended nonetheless. Some felt it was controversial, which may have aided in its success. Overall, most agreed it provoked thought.

Now not to go all back into it, but I do want to say that on the one hand I was trying to make the point that there are many variations of the same dance in the folklorico world - some more traditional and authentic than others.  On a different note, I was trying to inspire originality in style an execution.  I made the comment that many group imitate Amalia Hernandez and Ballet Folklorico de Mexico's style, dances and choreography.  It's kind of like going and seeing a tribute band.  Yes, they sing the same songs an even copy the original band's look. However, at the end of the day, everyone still prefers the original band because they are the "real" one. I even had one of the dancers from Mexico write me a note thanking me for the post.  Anyway, lets just move on.
 

Several other post received heavy readership as well.  Here is a list of the top 21 posts:

1.)  Modern Folklorico Dancing - Week 31

2.)  A Big L.A. Af-fair! - Part 1 - Week 40

3.)  The Day of The Dead - Week 30

4.)  Heart & Sol - Week 16

5.)  A Deadly Transformation - Week 45

6.)  Latin Stage Fever - Denver Part 2 - Week 27

7.)  Richard Solorzano - Week 52

8.)  Sizzling Sinaloa - Denver Part 1 - Week 26

9.)  Chihuahua, Chiapas & Baja - Week 43

10.)  The Viva Navidad Experience - Part 1 - Week 51

 

11.)  Who Is Herencia Mexicana?  A History! - Week 42

12.)  Dancing At Disney California Adventure - Week 37

13.)  In The Beginning - Week 2

14.)  The Audition! - Week 47

15.)  L.A. County Fair Show - The Sequel - Week 41

16.)  Images Of Mexico - Week 21

17.). History In The Making - Week 4

18.)  What To Wear - Week 5

19.). Getting Started - Week 1

20.)  The Miracles Of Dancing - Week 6

21.)  39 - Say It Isn't So!  - Week 34

Now on the contrary, the all time least read post was week 32's "Why A Blog?"  How bizarre that week 31 was the top post and week 32 was the bottom.  Perhaps folks got turned off by week 31s post, who knows.  I actually wrote week 32's post due to some of the feedback I received regarding week 31's post.  Some folks after reading week 31 asked "Who is this Wedo and what gives him the right to write about folklorico?"  So I wrote a post about how the blog actually came about. I personally like week 32s blog much more than week 31s.  Go figure!  

I acknowledged that there are a plethora of highly qualified individuals out there, much more so than I, that should be blogging and writing about folklorico.  I even presented the idea of guest bloggers for my blog.  I approached several qualified folks to write a post to share on my blog.  Most agreed, but in the end, no one followed through, leaving my voice to be heard alone.  So that whole idea was a flop!  Kind of like week 32's post!  Of course now that I've mentioned it here, it will probably be in the top 10 by next week!
 

Since I'm sharing flops, the kids coloring activity didn't go well either!  Not a single soul sent the Wedo a picture.  Oh well.  Too bad, so sad.  I gave it a shot.  I had one person submit some logos for my logo contest. Thank goodness for that!  How embarrassing it would have been if no one had responded.  At one time, I presented an idea of creating a folklorico themed t-shirt line. That didn't happen either! Besides, Miicamisa Folk/Urban Wear already has a full line of fabulous folklorico themed items. I discovered them after I presented my desire to create some folklorico t-shirts of my own under the label "We do Wear!"  I may have some One Big Wedo blog t-shirts made up yet. Anyone interested out there?  Of course, with my bald head, folks may mistake me for Casper!  For other folklorico t-shirts and products, check out Miicamisa online and on Facebook.  And what's up with no movie offer, reality television show, music/dance video, interview or book deal? Hello Hollywood! I'll even settle for a 12 month Big Wedo calendar! Now that's sure to be a big seller! I'm waiting! Call me Hollywood! I guess there's still some hope in creating a stage show at least, but time will tell. I even hit Cher up on Facebook to have us perform a number at her upcoming show in Ontario in July. All I've heard back is crickets!
 

Now that I've shared the flops, how about some more positive areas of success? I received lots of encouragement and emails over the past year.  I even had a couple college dance professors from Texas share my blog with their students as recommended reading on their class syllabuses.  How cool is that!  I heard from some of the students themselves!  Hopefully they are still reading! Multicultural California, Folklorico Page and Folkloricochannel were all very supportive of the blog this past year. Thank you very, very much.  In fact, Folklorico Page recently gave me this compliment which has to be among the best I've ever received.  As part of the response to my post about "Richard Solorzano - Week 52", Folklorico Page wrote, "One Big Wedo's blog is [also] the "real deal", funny, informative and insightful." I am so going to have you write the book review if I should get a book deal! I recommend everyone to check out Folklorico Page on Facebook. I find the commentary and photos very inspiring. Keep up the great work.

With the announcement of the blog being officially complete, I received several texts, emails and messages encouraging me to keep blogging. Of course, this sparked my thinking of what I might still write about. I thought of a few things but then I couldn't remember if I've already written about the topics. So this week, I spent some time reading and reviewing my own blog and guess what, I haven't written about them. That means I have three or four potential new blog topics to post about. Plus, with 2014 just getting started, there's a whole year of potential posts just waiting to happen. Stay tuned. However, if the blog should end after that, I have to be honest in saying I won't miss all the work it takes to write these little gems. And I won't miss all the computer errors, unsaved and deleted posts, rework and the like. Nothing is more disappointing and aggravating than spending all day working on a post only to lose it.  Even so, I really appreciate Blogger and Google for the free service and for providing a place for my voice to be heard.  Your voice can be heard to, sign up and get to writing!
 

Let's take a moment and look at all the performances!  Here is the current list of shows I've participated in since the very beginning:

May 11, 2012:  Mariachi de Azusa 6th Annual Benefit Concert - Azusa, California (Herencia Mexicana) - Live Mariachi
May 13, 2012:  Our Lady of Assumption - Mother's Day - Carnival - Claremont, California (Herencia Mexicana)
May 18, 2012:  Plaza Mexico Performance - Lynnwood, California (Herencia Mexicana)
July 19, 2012:  Azusa Memorial Park Event - Azusa, California (Herencia Mexicana) - Live Mariachi
July 25, 2012 :  2nd Annual Viva La Vida @ Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant - Montebello, California (Images of Mexico) - Live Mariachi
July 28, 2012:  Durado Cultural Heritage Foundation Fundraiser Event - El Monte, California (Herencia Mexicana & Images of Mexico) - Live Mariachi
August 19, 2012:  Private Birthday Event - Pico Rivera, California (Herencia Mexicana)
September 14, 2012:  Plaza Mexico Performance - Lynnwood, California (Herencia Mexicana)
September 15, 2012:  Private Birthday Event - Montclair, California (Herencia Mexicana) - Live Mariachi
September 26, 2012:  Private Wedding Event - Loma Linda, California (Herencia Mexicana)
October 7, 2012:  St. Adelaide Church Carnival - Highland, California (Herencia Mexicana)
October 28, 2012:  Private Birthday Event - Azusa, California (Herencia Mexicana) - Live Mariachi
December 1, 2012:  Foster Care Event (DFCS) - Montebello, California (Herencia Mexicana)
December 9, 2012:  Riverside Festival of Lights - Riverside, California (Herencia Mexicana)
December 11, 2012:  Durado Foundation, Misa y Fiesta de Celebracion a la Virgen de Guadalupe - Riverside, California (Images of Mexico) - Live Mariachi
February 9, 2013:  Mission School Event - Redlands, California (Herencia Mexicana)
March 9, 2013:  Santa Teresita Hayden Child Care Family Festival - Duarte, California (Herencia Mexicana)
April 6, 2013:  Private Birthday Event - Ontario, California (Herencia Mexicana)
April 13, 2013:  Herencia Mexicana 2013:  El Mitote - Historic Civic Center Theatre - Corona, California (Sol de Mexico Ballet Folklorico) (Herencia Mexicana)
April 28, 2013:  City of Azusa - 2013 Cinco De Mayo Celebration, Azusa, California (Herencia Mexicana)
May 5, 2013:  Workman & Temple Family Homestead Museum, City of Industry, California.  "Romance of the Ranchos" (Herencia Mexicana)
May 12, 2013:  OLA Fiesta!  Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Claremont, California.  (Herencia Mexicana)
May 18, 2013:  Private Family Reunion Event - Arcadia Park in Arcadia, California. (Herencia Mexicana)
June 1, 2013:  Ascension Church Community Festival 2013 - Los Angeles, California. (Herencia Mexicana)
June 14, 2013:  Orgullo 2013 (Sponsored by Unidos Y Orgullo) - Potrero Night Club - Glendale, Colorado (Herencia Mexicana)
June 15, 2013:  Denver Pridefest 2013 @ Civic Center Park - Orgullo Latino Stage - Denver, Colorado (Herencia Mexicana - 2 Shows)
June 16, 2013:  Denver Pridefest 2013 @ Civic Center Park - Orgullo Latino Stage - Denver, Colorado (Herencia Mexicana - 2 Shows)
September 1, 2013:  Disney's Community Arts Showcase - Disney California Adventure - Hollywood Backlot Stage - Anaheim, California (Sol de Mexico Ballet Folklorico)

September 7, 2013:  City of Azusa Recreation Department - Azusa Senior Center Fiesta Event - Azusa, California (Herencia Mexicana)

September 8, 2013 - Plaza Mexico Colima Festival & Estrella TV - Lynnwood, California (Ballet Folklorico Mi Tierra)

September 22, 2013 - LA County Fair - Plaza De Las Americas Stage @ The Fairplex - Pomona, California (Ballet Folklorico Sol de Mexico) 

September 29, 2013 - LA County Fair - Plaza De Las Americas Stage - Pomona, California (Herencia Mexicana)
November 2, 2013 - Day of The Dead 2013 - Olvera Street Gazebo - Los Angeles, California (Herencia Mexicana)
November 2, 2013 - Dia de Los Muertos Ten Year Anniversary - Historic Downtown Riverside @ Market & Tenth - Riverside, California (Herencia Mexicana) (BF Sol de Mexico)

November 9, 2013 - Private Event - Quinceanera - Razzle Dazzle Dance Studios - Riverside, California - Live Mariachi (Herencia Mexicana) (BF Sol de Mexico)

November 16, 2013 - 50th Wedding Anniversary Private Event with Mariachi Los Camperos - The Ritz Gardens - Whittier, California - Live Mariachi (Dancers from Various Groups)

December 7, 2013 - D.C.F.S. Holiday Event at Montebello Senior Center - Montebello, California (Herencia Mexicana)
December 14, 2013 - Riverside Festival of Lights sponsored by The Mission Inn - Main Stage at University & Main - Riverside, California (Herencia Mexicana)

December 21, 2013 - Disney Viva Navidad Guest Performances - Disney California Adventure Park - Anaheim, California - Paradise Gardens Stage - 4 Shows (Herencia Mexicana)

December 22, 2013 - Disney Viva Navidad Guest Performances - Disney California Adventure Park - Anaheim, California - Paradise Gardens Stage - 2 Shows (Herencia Mexicana)

March 29, 2014 - Priscilla's Quinceanera - City Of Industry Expo Center - Industry, California (Herencia Mexicana)

April 8, 2014 - Veracruz Photo Shoot - Los Angeles, California (BF Mi Tierra)

April 27, 2014 - Azusa Cinco de Mayo Celebration - Azusa City Hall - Azusa, California (Herencia Mexicana)

May 1, 2014 - Destination Downtown Riverside Fashion Show - Riverside California (Herencia Mexicana)

May 1, 2014 - Riverside Cinco de Mayo Celebration at I.E. Art walk - Riverside, California (Herencia Mexicana)
May 6, 2014 - First Steps Independent Living Cinco de Mayo Event - San Bernardino, California (Herencia Mexicana)

May 11, 2014 - OLA Fiests Mother's Day Performance - Our Lady of Assumption Church & School - Claremont, California (Herencia Mexicana)

June 20, 2014 - Unidos Y Orgullo's 2014 Pride Event at Club El Potrero - Glendale, Colorado (Herencia Mexicana)

June 21, 2014 - Denver Pridefest 2014 at Civic Center Park - Latin Stage - Denver, Colorado (Herencia Mexicana - 3 shows)

June 22, 2014 - Denver Pridefest 2014 at Civic Center Park - Latin Stage - Denver, Colorado (Herencia Mexicana - 2 shows)

KGNU Radio Interview.

July 26, 2014 - 15th Wedding Anniversary Celebration - Mentone Moose Lodge - Mentone, California (Herencia Mexicana)

August 2, 2014 - Fabiola's Birthday Party - Escobedo's Residence - Covina, California (Herencia Mexicana)

August 23, 2014 - Disney Community Arts Showcase - Disney California Adventure - Hollywood Backlot Stage - Anaheim, California (Herencia Mexicana)

September 6, 2014 - City of Azusa "Fiesta" - Azusa Senior Center - Azusa, California (Herencia Mexicana)

September 27, 2014 - St. Bernardine's Multicultural Festival - San Bernardino, California (Herencia Mexicana)

September 28, 2014 - Los Angeles County Fair - Plaza de Las Americas, Pomona, California (Herencia Mexicana)
October 5, 2014 - Unity Fellowship of Christ Church Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration - Riverside, California (Herencia Mexicana)
October 12, 2014 - Private Wedding Reception Performance - Mentone Moose Lodge, Mentone Beach, California (Herencia Mexicana)
October 18, 2014 - Herencia Mexicana's 2014 Annual Fundraiser Event - The Ranch - Riverside, California - 2 Performances (Herencia Mexicana)

November 2, 2014 - Placita Olvera - Olvera Street Dia de Los Muertos (Day of The Dead) Festival - Los Angeles, California (Herencia Mexicana) 

November 2, 2014 - Riverside Dia de Los Muertos Featival - Downtown Riverside, California (Herencia Mexicana)

November 22, 2014 - Disney Viva Navidad! - Disney California Adventure Park - Paradise Pier/Goofy's Sky School - Anaheim, California - 2 Shows (Herencia Mexicana)
November 23, 2014 - Disney Viva Navidad! - Disney California Adventure - Paradise Pier/Goofy's Sky School - Anaheim, California - 2 Shows (Herencia Mexicana)

December 6, 2014 - Knott's Merry Farm - Knott's Berry Farm - Calico Stage - Buena Park, California (Herencia Mexicana)
December 13, 2014 - Winter Wonderland - The Roosevelt Bowl @ Perris Hill Park - San Bernardino, California (Herencia Mexicana)
December 13, 2014 - Riverside Mission Inn Festival of Lights - Riverside, California (Herencia Mexicana)
December 21, 2014 - KCAA Radio Event @ The Carousel Mall - Performance & Radio Interview - San Bernardino, California (Herencia Mexicana)
January 18, 2015 - Disney Community Arts Showcase - Hollywood Backlot Stage - Disney California Adventure - Anaheim, California (Herencia Mexicana)

I count 40+ shows!  Not too shabby. That's a lot of foot tapping going on! Almost averages out to one performance for every year old I am! One Big Wedo thanks all the dancers, dance groups, directors, teachers, photographers, videographers, Wikipedia, various reference resources, You Tube, Facebook and the like, who all contributed to the success of the blog. There's a saying that goes something like "It takes a village to raise a child." I guess it could be said "It takes a village to help a wedo dance and blog folklorico!" I especially want to thank God, Richard and my parents. Even during the tough times!

 

 

If you check out my profile on Google+ and Gmail, you can view tons of photos I've posted in the blog.  There are also a few photos that Google selected to enhance!  They are referred to as "Google+ Auto Awesome Photos"! Check them out sometime.

In other news, just as the blog ended, Herencia started up practices for the 2014 season. Everyone came back a little bit sluggish from the holidays. We are all a bit weighted down, if you get my drift. Now I didn't eat tamales, but I had my share of tortillas and chocolate. Now comes time to "feel the burn" and lose those extra pounds before our first show of the new year. Speaking of weight, check out this photo of me I found from a couple years ago. I was a much bigger boy! Folklorico makes you skinny!
 

Hey, here's a completely random piece of information for you.  I must be having one of my ADD moments.  After our fair performance last year, we received some feedback about our costumes. Although everyone liked our costumes, it was brought to our attention that the women's bloomers didn't match. So guess what, now they do. Richard designed a Herencia bloomer that all the women have wear, so everyone is uniform now. And I thought I suffered from OCD. Yes folks, even the underwear have to match!  

In closing, I want to share something I learned in college. Many of you have read and know that I studied Bible and Theology. I recall one class where the professor shared how there will be a day when all the nations of the world stand before God and present their contributions to life and society to God.  We discussed various aspects of life in which nations and people contribute too.  I remember thinking that one of the great contributions of Mexico is folklorico. I often think about how I am not only dancing before men, but also before God. Folklorico dancing reflects God and His creativity through man. That's my opinion anyways. What a beautiful thing.

So to wrap this all up, I sum up the whole blog like this:

Guero, whetto, wettoh, huero, weddo, weddoh, whedo, wedoh, huerro, Guerro, guedo, wetto, huedo, wero, guelo, wello, wheddoh, wedian and FOLKLORICO!  But no matter how you prefer to spell it, I'm still the One Big Wedo!
 

That's pretty much it! So what does next week bring, if anything? Check back and see! I already have folks trying to persuade me in going on some new adventures so I can write about them! Until then, this Wedo needs a moment to catch his breath! Wedo out!

Contact Information for "The Big Wedo":

Google E-mail: onebigwedo@gmail.com
Facebook: One Big Wedo (Guero)
Twitter: Michael Smith @onebigwedo
Blogger: www.onebigwedo.blogspot.com

Contact Information for Ballet Folklorico de Herencia Mexicana:

Richard Solorzano, Director: (909) 201-1957
Facebook: Herencia Mexicana
E-Mail: Bf_herencia_mexicana@yahoo.com
 

Note: Looking for your own adventure or journey? Herencia is a great place to find one!  Folklorico lessons and performances are both available. Herencia Mexicana performs for private & public events of all kinds. Book your event today! Herencia Mexicana welcomes new students. No previous folklorico or dance experience required.  All are welcome.

 

 

The Miracles of Dancing - Week 6

Welcome Poland!  Thank you for joining the journey!  To date, I have had readership from Croatia, Germany, Malaysia, Poland, South Korea, The United Kingdom and The USA!  A world tour is shaping up nicely.   Hint, hint!  I can hardly believe it.  Where are my readers from Australia, Canada, China, India, Mexico and Russia?  I hope to reach the entire globe.  Every Nation!  There's still time - 46 weeks left.

I want to take a moment to thank Multicultural California for the generous comments about my blog on Facebook.  I appreciate your perspective and encouragement.  Well stated.  I advise everyone reading to visit the Multicultural California page on Facebook and check out the posting on their timeline.  Multicultural California supports the arts by video documenting and photographing various dancing forms from around the globe.  The photos and videos can be found on You Tube and Facebook.  Check them out!  Also, this week's wedo word spelling comes from your comments:  Wero!  A fine addition to the ever growing list! 

In a rush to publish my blog last Sunday before everyone got involved with the Super Bowl, my proof reading lapsed and there were a few grammar and spelling errors.  Oops, apparently the wedo doesn't know English well either!  My apologies.  I corrected them on Monday and updated the blog.  I tried to let them slide and was going to make it a game of sorts for my readers to try to find as many errors as possible, but it kept eating at me.  So I fixed 'em.  However, I'm sure there are still many, many errors in my writing and hope you are reading my blog for the entertainment and informational value and not for it's superb literary writing.  I need an editor!  I am guilty of being a perfectionist.  "Michael, you are so hard on yourself," my friends always say.  Guilty!  I drive myself nuts! 

For all the Super Bowl fans who saw my Super Bowl winner prediction on Facebook, that the 49ers were going to win, I'm sorry.  I'm not a psychic!  I will just stick with the folklorico dancing and refrain from making anymore predictions.  I've had people tell me that they weren't going to follow my blog anymore due to the false prediction!  Wow, get a life!  Here I went to all that trouble to cause a power outage at the big game, just so you could take a few minutes and read my new post!  So unappreciated!  No more favors for you!  You have no idea how difficult it was to pull that off!

In other news, I accomplished something this week that I never intended or set out to do in life!  I am officially accused of being a "cyber stalker!"  This one blew me away.  Twitter suspended my account because apparently too many of their users blocked me or labelled my tweets as spam.  This flagged my account.  I was shocked because I only have five followers on Twitter.  I'm new to Twitter and the only reason I got an account was to develop an audience for the blog.  To my surprise, Twitter feels I am harassing their members.  OMG!  Really? 

Perhaps I am missing the whole Twitter concept here.  People write posts and include hash marks for key words should anyone search for the topic they are writing about.  So I searched for "folklorico" and several tweets came up by users with that interest.  I selected to "follow" these people, that share the common interest of folklorico, in hopes they might take an interest in me and follow me too.  That makes me a stalker?  Am I mistaken here?  Isn't the whole premise of Twitter to "follow" people?  The term "follow" is stalker-ish in itself.  I am befuddled.  How embarrassing for following people and getting kicked off a site that dedicated to following people. 

I had to agree to a bunch of terms and conditions and they un-suspended my account with a warning that I needed to discontinue my bad behavior or I will be permanently banned from the site.  The folklorico dancing wedo is a danger to Internet society!  I promptly un-followed everyone that I was following.  Bottom line here is, you can still follow me on Twitter, but I won't be following anyone.  Hopefully those that would have an interest in this blog will find me.  Your help in sharing my posts and spreading the word is more important than ever! 

Lastly, it was brought to my attention this week that I talk about Richard a lot in this blog, which is to be about me and my experience.  Truth is without Richard there would be no folklorico wedo or a blog for that matter.  Richard taught me everything I know about folklorico.  He has been by my side throughout the entire journey.  Therefore, I will be talking about him.  He is part of every chapter of my story, but I would only be a paragraph or two in his.  He is the real deal.  He has lived a folklorico dancing life.  A future project that I would like to do is write his biography and the history of Herencia Mexicana.  He has a truly amazing story to share.

The Miracles of Dancing

As you already know, I grew up in Michigan.  The good old Midwest.  My father was a minister.  He was a pastor of the United Methodist Church for a time.  The church owned a campground and we lived in the parsonage there on the property.  My parents also ran and maintained the grounds.  My father had a big tractor that he used to do many of the assorted tasks that needed to be performed.  In the fall of 1978, August to be exact, my father hitched up a semi truck flat bed trailer on the back of the tractor.  It was time to prepare for the winter snowfall.  There were many picnic tables on the grounds.  The tables had metal legs on them that would rust from the water and snow.  To avoid the rust, every fall the tables were collected and stored under a pavilion.  It was table harvest time.

It was a week before my fourth birthday.  A friend of my father's came to help with loading up the tables onto the flat bed trailer to be taken and stored.  I decided to tag along for the days work.  In the front of the large industrial farm tractor was a hug scoop which was used for dirt removal, digging and/or plowing snow.  That day I was riding along in the scoop of the tractor while the adult men did their work.  I was dragging my feet and we moved along.  Sure enough, I fell out of the scoop and under the tractor I went.  Unfortunately, my father did not see this happen as he was looking back at the trailer.  All I remember was the bone crushing pressure as the front tires went across my body.  It knock the wind out of me and I couldn't even cry out for help.  The terrain was bumpy and it was common to jerk around while driving.  My father thought nothing of the little bump and continued onward.  Then came the large rear wheel of the tractor and underneath I went.  This time the tractor had some difficulty making it over and I remember it kind of stopping on top of me briefly before spitting me out behind.  Then, horror set in as my father realized what had happened.


I remember my father jumping off the tractor in panic and fear and rushed over to my limp body.  He picked me up and ran to the parsonage calling for my mother.  My mother came running out of the house and my father passed me off to her and they jumped into the Suburban truck to rush me to the hospital.  Indeed, there was comfort in mother's arms.  As we went to the hospital I told my mom, "Look!"  My arm had a gash on it where the flesh had been ripped away and was bleeding.  I remember mom putting a paper towel on it.  We arrived at the hospital where the emergency staff were waiting and ready.  They took me in and laid me on a cold metal table.  They removed my clothes and gave me a catheter.  What exactly happened after that I do not recall.  All I can say is, "Ouch!"  It was a horribly traumatic event.

For the next several months I was in the hospital.  I had broken my pelvis and sustained multiple injuries.  I was the only child in the area of the children's wing where I was recovering.  One day a lady from the church came and visited me.  She must have sensed I was bored out of my mind because she went home and made several stuff animal toys for me.  One was a big hippo and another was a yellow bird.  I also had a Rocky & Bullwinkle coloring book.  I made a full recovery and the hospital called me "The Miracle Boy."  Throughout the rest of my childhood my mother continued to call me her "Little Miracle Boy."  On the day I left the hospital, one of the nursing staff asked me if I would like to leave my coloring book so other children that came would have something to do.  I told them, "NO!"  What a brat!  After all that, I hadn't lost my spunk!


The photos above are not of the actual tractor, but they will give you an idea of what I'm talking about and the size.  In 1983, my family moved away from the camp leaving the tractor behind.  I took only the memory of it and the events affiliated with it, with me.  I was in the 3rd grade.  If you have ever seen the movie, Faith Like Potatoes, there is a scene where a child falls off a tractor and gets run over and is killed. It's based on a true story.  Later in life, I watched this movie with my parents.  When it came to this scene, you could read their faces which reflected the pain and fear they experienced earlier in life.  Life had moved on but the memories remain.

I believe in miracles.  Do you?  Let me count the miracles from just this single incident.

1.)  I got ran over by a farm tractor and lived to tell about it. 
2.)  The front tires and the rear tire both ran over my mid section.  The rear tire should have crushed my head.
3.)  I made a full recovery and could walk.
4.)  Not only could I walk, but 33 years later I started to dance folklorico.
5.)  God worked a miracle in my life and blessed me with gifts.  Those gifts are life and folklorico.  God always gives the best gifts!

What miracles do you count?

I have a melancholy personality.  Ya Think!  In the summer of 2011 when this whole journey began, I was in sad shape - emotionally, socially and physically.  I had gone through a stressful and rough two years for many reasons.  I became very down and depressed.  Dancing folklorico has been a form of therapy for me and has helped me pull my life back together.  Not only is it a miracle that I can dance at all, but God used folklorico to work a miracle in me as well.  It wasn't anything that I anticipated in life.  I'm actually quite surprised.  But I am grateful.

Be sure to check back Sunday for new big wedo posting.  Next week I'm sharing the first dance performance and you won't want to miss that!

Contact Information for "The Big Wedo":

Google E-mail: onebigwedo@gmail.com
Facebook: One Big Wedo (Guero)
Twitter: Michael Smith @onebigwedo
Blogger: www.onebigwedo.blogspot.com

Contact Information for Ballet Folklorico de Herencia Mexicana:

Richard Solorzano, Director: (909) 201-1957
Facebook: Herencia Mexicana
E-Mail: Bf_herencia_mexicana@yahoo.com

Note: Looking for your own adventure or journey? Herencia is a great place to find one!  Folklorico lessons and performances are both available. Herencia Mexicana performs for private & public events of all kinds. Book your event today! Herencia Mexicana welcomes new students. No previous folklorico or dance experience required.  All are welcome.

What To Wear? - Week 5

Hello Everyone!  Thank you for all of your support by reading my blog and sharing in my journey.  A special shout out to my new followers this week from Germany and The United Kingdom, it is nice to have you as part of my blogging history.  Who knows, perhaps I'll go on a world tour to the countries with readership after I conclude my blog.  That would be fun!  In fact, I'll promise to do it if anyone wants to fully sponsor such a thing - "The Herencia Mexicana World Tour 2014" featuring the "One Big Wedo!"  Any takers?  Shoot, I'll even settle for a national tour!  But in order to do so, I need to know what States you all are from.  So go now, yes right now, to my Facebook page, One Big Wedo, and "like" it so I know where you're all from.  Part of the enjoyment for me in this is to meet my readers.  If you don't have a Facebook, create one!  Its free and easy.  If you've already "liked" me, then just keep on reading, reading, reading!

I am getting your feedback.  Thank you.  If you're having difficulty leaving a comment on this page, you can e-mail me directly at onebigwedo@gmail.com or you can follow me on Facebook by clicking "like" on my page:  One Big Wedo (Guero).  If you've been reading from the beginning of this post, then you should have already done this!  And for those of you Twitterers out there, you can get my tweets by following me on Twitter:  Michael Smith @onebigwedo.  Hope to hear from you soon.  If you have enjoyed reading my posts, please share them with your friends and family.  I appreciate your recommendations and helping a wedo out to spread the word out there.  It has been fun for me to write them.  This week I added some new features to my blog page layout, you can now follow me via your email or on Google+.  I also added an option to translate the blog into other languages, although I'm not sure if the humor will come across.  I'm also taking a survey poll.  Just look for the new features along the top, bottom and side of the page layout.

Want to see me dance?  You can!  Just head over to YouTube and search for "Herencia Riverside."  Two videos should pop up that are on the "folkloricochannel".  Or you can try these links I have provided here:  http://youtu.be/yY5ovh9y-3M and http://youtu.be/rOTE8CLTZ4M .  The first song is called La Dificultosa and the second is called La Jesusita.  This was a performance last December at the Festival of Lights in the beautiful Mission Inn District in downtown Riverside, California.  I learned those two dances in a week!  The week before the show to be exact.  Not too shabby!  I hope you enjoy them.

This week a funny thing happened to me, which is not all that unusual.  A man ask me if my middle name was "wedo" because they call me "the wedo."  Come on people, really?  Are we just not getting it?  So now my name is Michael Wedo Smith!  My mom and pops may take issue with that because they named me Michael Dale Smith.  Regardless, I thought it was funny.  I guess it was in my destiny to entertain, better to be a folklorico dancer than a Chippen-Dale!  Trust me, no one wants to see that!  And to top it off,  a friend called me a "weeeee-doh", instead of "whedo" this week.  I thought I was the only one who had trouble saying those Spanish words.  I am frequently told, "Michael your Spanish is painful to my ears."  I'm sorry, its my Michigan accent, don't cha know?  Enough already!  Let's get going!

For Christmas 2011, Richard gave me a Chihuahua suit.  Now, up to that point, I hadn't even started learning the region of Chihuahua.  He was planting the seed.  He was tapping into my addiction of clothing and accessorizing in hopes of provoking me to keep dancing.  It was as if he was conducting some sort of great Freudian experiment to see what the wedo would do.  It worked because it motivated me to continue onward.  In those moments when I was ready to quit, all I could think of was, "what a waste of a costume, you better make this happen."  If you watch the videos that I recommended above, you will see me in that Chihuahua suit. 

In the early months of 2012, we took a trip to El Mercado in East Los Angeles to find him a new hat for Vera Cruz.  His had seen better days.  We didn't find that hat he needed, but Richard bought me a camisa guayabera, a white shirt worn for the region of Vera Cruz.  They had one that fit me!  Let's take pause here to clarify this word guayabera.  Yes, it's another Spanish word that is spelled nothing like it sounds.  I pronounce and spell it, "Why-a-vetta."  It's kind of a fun word to say.  Practice saying it, Why-A-Vetta.  No men, it's not "buy-a-vetta," it's "why-a-vetta."  No showing up in the driveway at your home with a new Corvette and telling the wife that "the wedo made you do it."  And for you fish enthusiasts, it's not "buy-a -betta" either.  Wasn't that random?  To have some fun with it, try saying, "wedos wearing white whyavettas while wowing wiggling watchers watch wonderful workmanship!" 10 times fast.  Come on, just try it!  I told you it was a fun word!

Afterwards, we headed over to Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles to continue the hunt for a Vera Cruz hat.  For those of you reading that are not familiar with the Los Angeles area, Olvera Street is a historical area downtown that is rich with Mexican heritage and tourism.  It is the local Mexican mecca, complete with restaurants, shopping and an area for dance where you commonly see Folklorico and Azteca dances being performed.  There you will find El Pueblo de Los Angeles monument.  You will also find a wedo eating a hot dog and being harassed by his friends for eating a hot dog instead of some local Mexican food.  That wedo would be me.  I'm sorry, the hot dogs are delicious down town.  I'm honored they thought of me when they wrote the menu.  I just look for the Gringo Specials.  I need to focus, let's get back on track.

Not only did we find the hat for Richard, we found a hat for me and a pair of white pantalones and a nice red silk hanker chief.  I made out!  We found a black sombrero that fit my big head, so I picked that up too.  Richard was buying some fans from Spain for his lady dancers and came across two nice men's ties worn with the charro suit.  He picked those up for us as well.  It was a shopping frenzy.  I love those days.  The costumes were coming along nicely.  I got back home and bought a pair of white folklorico boots and my Vera Cruz costume was complete.  If you visit my page on Facebook, you will see a couple of photos of me in my Vera Cruz costume.   

Some time later, on a Sunday, we took another trip to downtown Los Angeles to The House of Mariachi, a local business that is well known for their excellence in quality charro suits.  Many famous musicians use them for their performing costumes.  Across the street you will find the famous Mariachi Plaza Gazebo, where local mariachis stand and wait for daily work.  I was fitted for my charro suit that day.  A couple weeks later, I went back for my final fitting and brought it home.  Check out my picture of the fitting below.  The staff there was amused with me.  A non-Spanish speaking white man that dances folklorico.  Interesting.  Good thing I had Richard there to translate and communicate for me.

A charro suit is what is worn for the region of Jalisco.  You have probably seen mariachi musicians wear them.  Jalisco is the birthplace of the mariachi music, so it makes sense.  They are tight and we get to dance in them.  Eat your heart out!  One of my favorite things to do after a performance is to go out among the audience and hand out business cards in my charro suit.  The ladies love it and always want their picture taken with the man in the fitted suit.  In Mexican culture, seeing a man in a charro suit is like seeing a man in a military uniform in American culture.  It is given respect.  The last photo below is of Richard and I at my first performance, which I will be addressing in a future blog post. 

As I have learned dances from other regions, the costume collection has grown.  They are like medals of honor, representing another dance learned from a new region that is about to go on stage.  Other times they represent hope, a goal set in anticipation of one day performing the region.  I want to collect them all and have one in every color.  I'm up to five now!

In addition to gathering my costumes, I have had the unique opportunity to travel with Richard and assist in getting the costumes for the dance group.  In Richard's group, Herencia Mexicana, the costumes are provided for the members who perform on stage.  This is a huge benefit because most groups have the students pay for their own costumes, which can get very costly.  Some of the dresses for the women can run upwards of $500 or more for just one region.  If you're dancing 3 to 5 regions in a show, well, you can do the math.  So by providing the costumes, Richard makes it possible for everyone to participate.  Richard doesn't spare any expense when it comes to the costumes.  He likes the best.  He always says, "You only have one chance to make that first impression."

There are standard generic costumes available on the market, but most of Richard's are custom made.  He has his own seamstresses.  Each region has a base costume look that is required.  Typically, most folklorico groups that custom make their costumes build upon that base and do something to make it their own signature outfit by design, all while remaining true to the region.  For example, some may use a particular type of lace or ribbon in their costume.  There is some flexibility as long as you keep within the rules of the region and don't go overboard.  No modifying a full length skirt to a mini.  That's a no no.  Groups take great pride in their signature costumes.  It give them a sense of ownership and uniqueness on the stage.  And it can lead to a lot of dance drama if a group steals another group's look or costume design. 

Richard and I have made numerous trips to L.A.'s fabric and garment district looking for that perfect material, ribbon, lace and trim for the dresses.  Then there are the hair pieces for the women.  Custom braids with ribbon and/or flowers.  Then there's the jewelry.  Lots of details and it never ends.  Thank God I'm a man!  It's not as complicated.  So there it is, What To Wear?  Well, that all depends on what region you're dancing.  Hope you enjoyed it.

In closing, anyone interested in Herencia Mexicana is encouraged to check out their Facebook page and friend request them.  Also, if you are in the Los Angeles or Inland Empire area and want to learn to dance folklorico or to book Herencia Mexicana to perform at your next event, contact Richard Solorzano at (909) 201-1957.  Later peeps, Wedo out!

Contact Information for "The Big Wedo":

Google E-mail: onebigwedo@gmail.com
Facebook: One Big Wedo (Guero)
Twitter: Michael Smith @onebigwedo
Blogger: www.onebigwedo.blogspot.com

Contact Information for Ballet Folklorico de Herencia Mexicana:

Richard Solorzano, Director: (909) 201-1957
Facebook: Herencia Mexicana
E-Mail: Bf_herencia_mexicana@yahoo.com

Note: Looking for your own adventure or journey? Herencia is a great place to find one!  Folklorico lessons and performances are both available. Herencia Mexicana performs for private & public events of all kinds. Book your event today! Herencia Mexicana welcomes new students. No previous folklorico or dance experience required.  All are welcome.

History In The Making! - Week 4

When I joined Herencia Mexicana and began going to the practices to learn to dance, I told Richard that my goal was to be the best 37 year old, white male folklorico dancer that had no real previous dance training.  Which kind of put me in my own category.  I have no idea how many 37 year old, white men have started dancing folklorico one day just out of the blue like that.  Perhaps I'm the only one.  It's true that there have been many talented white men and women to dance and teach folklorico, or so I have been told.  It's not that hard to believe, especially with so many folklorico dance groups out there.  I'm not the first and I won't be the last!

I believe my goal is a realistic and a healthy one.  To be the best at what I have learned at my age.  It is flattering when people ask if I am dancing professionally, but the answer is no, I am an amateur and a student who performs.  A beginner!  I am far from being a professional.  From the get go, I have taken my dancing very seriously.  I want to be a good dancer, a great performer and learn as much as I can about folklorico dancing.  I want to make the dance group and the director proud.  My fear all along has been looking foolish on the stage, to disgrace the art, and/or to come across as disrespecting the culture or making a mockery of it.  I don't want to embarrass myself, the group or Richard.

I grew up in the farmland of Michigan.  The area I grew up in was rural to say the least.  My mother exposed me to music at a very young age and I pursued it for much of my youth.  That was one of the best things she did for me.  But as far as dancing, well, that was a whole different issue.  Men didn't dance really.  Plus, there was a stigma about dancing, the church frowned upon it and it was sinful.  Oh My!  So there wasn't much available in that department.  In elementary school, I remember learning an Irish jig in one of the music classes.  In 1983, when Michael Jackson moon walked for the first time and his career exploded, I remember my teacher having all the kids in class do their version of the moonwalk.  That may seem silly, but it was a big deal because where I grew up no one was doing that latest dances.  Perhaps kids in urban environments were, but not in farmville, USA.  In Junior High and High School we had dances, but they were lame.  The guys did this kind of bend the knee to the music sort of thing, trying to maintain a cool look and being all man about it to impress the ladies.  The only other trend I remember that made it big in the farmland was MC Hammer's parachute pants and the typewriter dance.  What were we thinking? 

In High School, there were no dance teams or classes of any sort.  The closest thing we had was the cheer leading squad.  And men didn't cheer.  The activities that I participated in that had any sort of choreography and movement were show choir, marching band, and theater.  It was better than nothing at all.  And there was music, I was always surrounded by music.  In addition, we watched some television at home.  No MTV, we only had three channels and no cable.  So we watched shows like Hee Haw, Lawrence Welk, Barbara Mandrell, and The Carol Burnett Show.  Sometimes they would have dancing.  I remember trying to stay home from church on Sunday nights so I could watch In Living Color with the Fly Girls.  Unfortunately, I thought I was a Fly Girl too, which can explain a lot.  My folks also took me to many theater productions:  Cats, Fiddler On The Roof, Etc.  So I viewed plenty of dancing growing up.

Then there was college.  I went from the farm to the Windy City, Chicago Illinois.  I was accepted into music conservatory.  I loved the idea of having a career in opera or musical theater.  So off to college I went.  At the suggestion of my academic counselor, I enrolled in a modern dance class.  I was excited about it.  The first week we studied ballet.  The teacher was adamant that I wear leotards to class because he "needed to be able to see my body."  Ok, hold up!  Huh?  What?  Are you serious?  I was modest.  I already felt like a freak of nature, like a giraffe among the field mice, and now leotards.  I didn't need the added attention, so I dropped the class.  The teacher didn't get to see me at all.  That should teach him.  I did my share of clubbing in college and even went to the occasional square dance.

 
After college, my inexperience continued.  I made a great career choice and landed a job at Chuck E. Cheese!  While there, I performed with the great rat himself.  Stardom!  My social club scene continued and I took a few line dance classes.  I ended up working for the Fisher Theatre in Detroit and I saw many, many performances that were alive with dancing.  Then in 1995 I moved to California and if you've read my other blogs, you know what happened then. 

When I joined Herencia Mexicana in October 2011 it was either sink or swim.  The group was composed of seasoned dancers and I was out of my league.  To add to the challenge, Richard was teaching the region of Guerrero which is not easy.  And I struggled to keep up.  I felt too old, too slow, too out of shape, too unqualified and too white.  And from that point on I coined the term, "Killing the white gene" of incoordination and lack of rhythm.  I was another shining example that white folks can't dance.  And even though my body was hating me and retaliated with soreness and cramps and I contemplated quitting a million times and told Richard I wanted to just dance the slower easier dances, I stuck with it and through it all Richard never gave up on me, nor did he let up.  And because he has persevered through all my trials and melt downs, I am now dancing dances I never imaged I could.  On May 11, 2012 I danced my first performance.  More on that in the weeks to come.  So to put it plainly, I went from Fly Girl to Folklorico!  Gotta love it.  Until next week, wedo out!

Contact Information for "The Big Wedo":

Google E-mail: onebigwedo@gmail.com
Facebook: One Big Wedo (Guero)
Twitter: Michael Smith @onebigwedo
Blogger: www.onebigwedo.blogspot.com

Contact Information for Ballet Folklorico de Herencia Mexicana:

Richard Solorzano, Director: (909) 201-1957
Facebook: Herencia Mexicana
E-Mail: Bf_herencia_mexicana@yahoo.com

Note: Looking for your own adventure or journey? Herencia is a great place to find one!  Folklorico lessons and performances are both available. Herencia Mexicana performs for private & public events of all kinds. Book your event today! Herencia Mexicana welcomes new students. No previous folklorico or dance experience required.  All are welcome.

Getting Started - Week 1

Welcome!  The Adventure Begins Here!

Ok, so right off the bat I want to address this whole wedo thing before I get emails and hate mail telling me how I spelled it wrong and how I'm just another uneducated ignorant white boy.  My response, "Lighten up!  Get a sense of humor."  But for those of you who are self appointed spelling gatekeepers and grammar guardians of the web, here you go:  Guero.  Wiktionary definition:  A word used in Mexico to denote a person of fair complexion or with blond or red hair.  There you have it.  In the United States it is often used as a word to describe white people.  A slang word meaning "white boy or whitey."  The slang Americanized spelling of the word, wedo, is no different than how other words are spelled in street slang.  For example, boy is often spelled boi or boii.  The list could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.  So relax and just go with it.  Laugh at how we spell words as to how they sound and not how they actually are.  And in my opinion, wedo is fitting for this 38 year old, 6'2", 220 lbs, bald headed white guy from Michigan, who doesn't speak a lick of Spanish.  I am one big wedo.

So how does someone like me, get involved in Mexican dancing?  Specifically, ballet folklorico.  I could say "love" but then I would lose all my readership.  I can hear you all gaging and hacking already.  Someone call the Lifetime channel!  I could say, "I got sucked into it" but that would probably raise some eyebrows as well.  So I will just respond with, "It caught my attention and I decided to give it a try.  Only to find out that I really enjoy it and so I'm sticking to it."  No, I'm not having a cultural identity crisis and trying to become Mexican.  I'm enjoying life as it comes my way.

So I hope you will go on a journey with me.  One that began in 2010.  Who knows, perhaps in a year from now when this blog finishes, you too will be dancing folklorico.  Perhaps even with me!  Not only would I like this blog to be about my journey but also a kind of "White Man's Guide to Folklorico Dancing."  We shall see how this all ends up.  Until next week....

PLEASE NOTE:  MANY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND PICTURES IN THIS BLOG ARE NOT MY OWN.  MANY OF THE IMAGES WERE TAKEN FROM GOOGLE FREE IMAGES.  I DO NOT OWN THE COPYRIGHTS NOR DO I TAKE ANY CREDIT FOR THEM.  NO VIOLATION OR INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED.  IF I HAVE USED YOUR IMAGE AND YOU DO NOT WANT IT TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS BLOG FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF OTHERS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT ONEBIGWEDO@GMAIL.COM AND IT WILL BE REMOVED.  ONE BIG WEDO IS NOT A MONEY MAKING VENTURE.  IT IS A FREE SERVICE.  THANK YOU.   

Contact Information for "The Big Wedo":

Google E-mail: onebigwedo@gmail.com
Facebook: One Big Wedo (Guero)
Twitter: Michael Smith @onebigwedo
Blogger: www.onebigwedo.blogspot.com

Contact Information for Ballet Folklorico de Herencia Mexicana:

Richard Solorzano, Director: (909) 201-1957
Facebook: Herencia Mexicana
E-Mail: Bf_herencia_mexicana@yahoo.com

Note: Looking for your own adventure or journey? Herencia is a great place to find one!  Folklorico lessons and performances are both available. Herencia Mexicana performs for private & public events of all kinds. Book your event today! Herencia Mexicana welcomes new students. No previous folklorico or dance experience required.  All are welcome.