Beauty of dance

When Daniela Mata puts on the flowing chocolate-colored dress and stomps her heels, she feels like a kid again.

The junior nursing major from the Chicago area volunteers with Orgullo Mexicano, a Dayton troupe that performs traditional dances from the Jalisco and Sinaloa regions of Mexico. Mata connected with the group when the supervisor for her health engagement internship with El Puente, a nonprofit supporting Dayton’s Latino community, suggested she give it a try. “I used to dance when I was little,” Mata admitted, at first nervous about dancing alongside young, skilled dancers. But with each twirl, her apprehension melted away.

“We share something that we all have in common, that we all enjoy and have fun with. … I love it.”

The troupe performs at cultural festivals and quinceañera celebrations for girls’ 15th birthdays. “When we get to dance, it just all comes together,” Mata said. “We share something that we all have in common, that we all enjoy and have fun with. … I love it.”

A version of this article appears in print in the Fall 2025 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 9. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE