The Ballet Folklorico de Durango, in an effort to build its dance troupe, is holding an open house on Monday at Fort Lewis College.

Children, college-age students and adults are welcome to the informational event, scheduled from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 40 at the Student Union at Fort Lewis College.

“We want to build our troupe,” said Shirena Trujillo Long, coordinator of the Centro de Muchos Colores, the Hispanic resource center, at FLC. “We have five adults and seven students returning.”

The troupe performs about 25 times a year in the Four Corners, Trujillo Long said. Children as young as 5 years old are welcome, she said.

The troupe is scheduled to perform May 5 with the Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli de Veracruz, one of Mexico’s leading dance groups that has performed around the world.

The Mexican troupe was formed in 1985 and makes its home in Xalaja, the state capital of the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz.

The joint performance will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.

The Ballet Folklorico de Durango classes are 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays for members ages 5 to 17 and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for adult and college students. Classes are held in Room 40 in the Student Union.

Information is available from dance instructor Jennifer Coffey at 779-8109.

daler@durangoherald.com