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♪♪

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♪♪

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-Opening night was
apparently like insane.

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-From its vaudeville roots
to Broadway bound shows,

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take a nostalgic look at
100 years of stories told

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at Seattle's historic
Fifth Avenue Theatre.

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♪♪

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-Any time I get to dance for my
community is really special.

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-We go backstage with the
Mexican dance troupe

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"Bailadores de Bronce."

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See how their moves
inspire cultural pride,

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especially during
Latino Heritage Month.

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-You see it everywhere.

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-Nearly every structure
built immediately

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after the 1889 Great Seattle
Fire had one thing in common.

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See how this
foundational material

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helped shape the
look of Seattle.

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[ferry horn blows]

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These stories and more are
coming up next on CityStream.

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[grito call]

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[dance shoes tapping]

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♪♪

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♪♪

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- Hi, I'm Enrique Cerna
and welcome to CityStream

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from the Fifth Avenue Theatre.

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♪♪

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Back in the early 1920s,
Seattle's theater

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scene was thriving.

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Some say it was second
only to New York City.

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15 to 20 different venues,
each offering the latest

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touring vaudeville acts
and silent pictures.

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Sadly, many of those
architectural jewels were torn

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down in the name of progress.

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Places like the Orpheum
and the Metropolitan.

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Today, only a handful of
these historic theaters

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remain standing in Seattle.

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One of them, the Fifth
Avenue, was celebrating

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its 100th birthday.

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We'll have more on how this
place survived and its dramatic

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history in just a moment.

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♪♪

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The Great Seattle Fire
of 1889 leveled a very

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young frontier city.

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Its mostly wooden structures
burned to the ground.

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And while some thought of this
disaster as a setback, others

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saw it as an opportunity.

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The desire for more
permanent stone and brick

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construction produced a common
thread, limestone mortar.

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And as producer Michael
Crowe shows us, it

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became the foundation
that propelled Seattle

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towards its big city vibe.

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♪♪

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-Seattle is a city of stories;

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every building, every brick,
every person, a small

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part of that narrative--

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down to the mortar that
holds it all together.

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-There's a geologic
story, but there's also

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the story of economics.

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-Author David Williams is
talking about what binds

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the bricks of Pioneer
Square's historic buildings.

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-We are looking at the Pioneer
Building, which to me is

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one of the great buildings
in downtown Seattle.

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It combines some just
excellent elements of the

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city's story because it
comes in after the fire.

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-The Great Seattle Fire in
June of 1889 destroyed all

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of the Central Business
District in less than a day

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and led city leaders to
pass legislation requiring

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more fireproof materials
like brick and stone.

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-And in the Seattle area,
interesting, there is no good

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stone at the surface, so they
go elsewhere to find it.

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But what they also find
locally a lot of is clay.

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That clay gets mined
to make the bricks.

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So walk around downtown
Seattle, walk around

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where we are, right?

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So many of the buildings
are made of brick because

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that was the local material.

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-To supply this transition,
builders needed a source

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of lime for mortar.

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-This is the mortar.

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So basically between
all of the blocks.

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-And they found it
on San Juan Island;

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rich deposits of limestone
discovered decades earlier.

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- So this mortar is most
likely comes from Roche Harbor

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in the San Juans.

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That quarry site becomes
the major supplier of lime,

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or basically cement, into the
Seattle building industry

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right after the
great fire in 1889.

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And you see it everywhere.

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You see it in brick buildings,
you see it in sandstone

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buildings, you see it in granite buildings.
Wherever something has to be

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attached together, stone of
some sort, mortar will be here.

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♪♪

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-There are about 30 odd kilns
throughout San Juan County,

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scattered on all
the islands itself.

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-The trip to San Juan Island
feels worlds away from the

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towers of Seattle as
the ferry winds its

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way to Friday Harbor.

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But for decades, from
about 1860 to the 1920s,

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local historian Boyd Pratt
says lime production

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was big business on the island.

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- This is really one
of the most amazing

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industrial processes, is
the idea that you add heat

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to limestone in a kiln and
it changes it into lime.

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And the way they did it, it
was a continuous process.

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So the so-called raw limestone
was put up in that log

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hopper right there at
the top of the kilns.

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Midway there off to the
right, you'll see an

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arched steel doorway.

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And that was actually
the fireboxes.

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And the heat from those
fireboxes went up

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through the limestone
and actually converted

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the limestone into lime.

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They were running 24-7, and it
was an incredibly booming area.

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It was all this smoke
and noise and a full

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industrial town going on, and
it was the largest producer

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of lime in this region.

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-Now they sit surrounded
by the peaceful Roche

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Harbor Resort and Hotel de
Haro, a stark contrast.

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But these kilns helped build
the cities of the Northwest,

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because while they were remote,
the proximity to water made

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shipping the lime easier.

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[birds chirping]

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Other signs of the industry
remain to this day,

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including the name of the
Lime Kiln Lighthouse,

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popular for whale watching,
where a few hundred yards

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down the trail, you can still
see another of the old kilns.

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In that way, these islands
are forever linked

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to industrialization
in the Northwest.

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-I think what's amazing to
me is that these things

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have survived, you know,
that it was such an

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important part of history
that we still have these

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artifacts, if you will, and
you can walk among them.

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-But they are also a chapter
of a more global story.

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Fossils found in lime kiln
quarries have been linked to the

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western Pacific Ocean near
Asia about 248 million years

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ago, brought here by the
motion of plate tectonics.

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Limestone from thousands
of miles away deposited

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here for humans to
find and used to build

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these great cities.

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-It's about connection and
it's about connection to

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place and that's what I like.

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-After a time, the regional lime
trade faded as Portland cement

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became more popular in the U.S.

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But the mortar remains
for anyone willing to

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take a closer look as you
walk around the city.

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-It's a story.

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When I see this rock
and I see the mortar

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and I see the different
types, I see stories.

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I see stories of people, I see
stories of geology, and stories

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that stretch back millions
of years, but then also

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intersect with human
time because we've

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quarried them and brought them
into the built environment.

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So it's this great intersection
of time and place in a

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building like this for me.

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-A story about the world
we build and how the

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landscape shapes us, too.

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♪♪

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-Author David Williams
first wrote about this

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in his email newsletter,
“Street Smart Naturalist,

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Explorations of the Urban Kind.”

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In his words, it's a place
for people who want to

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know more about Seattle
and the Puget Sound

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by wandering the streets,
perusing old photos, and

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taking the time to slow down.

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For more information about
his free newsletter, go to

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♪♪

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Coming up, a century
of curtain calls.

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We're celebrating the
Fifth Avenue Theatre

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right after the break.

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♪♪

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-We are the everyday storytellers
of this great city.

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We are Seattle Channel, a
gateway to everything Seattle.

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♪♪

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The intersection between
government, culture, news,

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and the ever unfolding story
of the city we call home.

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♪♪

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So follow your curiosity and
come explore Seattle with us.

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♪♪

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Seattle Channel.

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♪♪

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-Welcome back to CityStream.

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As we mentioned earlier,
the Fifth Avenue Theatre

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had a birthday recently.

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This stunning theater
turned 100 years old.

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Producer Eric Riddle
and reporter Jim Dever

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take us inside its history
from its earliest days to the

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stage it's become today.

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♪♪

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-I remember just being like
awestruck, jaw dropping to

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the floor and being like, “Holy
cow, there's so much to look at.”

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-I've made many memories here
with the people I've had the

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opportunity and the good
fortune to work with.

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♪♪

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-This is a pretty unique place.

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♪♪

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Not just in the Northwest,
but in this entire country.

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♪♪

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-It's a place that makes
an impression long before

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you find your seat.

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♪♪

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But the story behind Seattle's
historic Fifth Avenue Theatre

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is as compelling as any show
that's ever crossed its stage.

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♪♪

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♪♪

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In the mid-1920s, Seattle is
home to several grand theaters,

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including the Coliseum and the
Liberty near First and Pike.

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But on the block between Union
and University, something

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unlike anything the city had
ever seen was about to be built.

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♪♪

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David Edward Skinner made his
fortune in ship building.

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In the fall of 1925, he started
constructing something else,

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an eight-story building
in downtown Seattle that

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would bear his name.

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♪♪

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It was the work of
architect Robert C.

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Reamer, whose resume includes

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Yellowstone's Old 
Faithful Inn and

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Lake Quinault Lodge in Washington.

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♪♪

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But the heart of the building
was to be an opulent new

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theater, named for the
street running right outside

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its doors, Fifth Avenue.

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Reamer designed the venue, but
it was Gustav Liljestrom who

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was behind the theater's
ornate Chinese interior.

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Influenced by a
recent trip to China,

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Liljestrom took inspiration
from historic places

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around what was
then called Peking.

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The Chinese theme
also paid tribute

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to Seattle's growing trade
partnership with the Far East.

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- Some people will say it was
built as a vaudeville house.

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It wasn't really built
as a vaudeville house.

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It was built as what
would have been called

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a presentation house.

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It incorporated vaudeville, but
always vaudeville and a movie.

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♪♪

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The auditorium is filled
with eye-catching designs,

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but the centerpiece
of the theater stares

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down from high above,
a massive, five-toed

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imperial Chinese dragon,
modeled after the one found on

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the ceiling of the throne
room in the Imperial Palace.

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Clutched in its teeth is
a glass chandelier known

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as the Pearl of Perfection.

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♪♪

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-The scale of this is much
larger than the actual palace,

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but the chandelier
and the dragon,

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all of those are elements
that came from that location.

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The other interesting thing
about everything we're seeing,

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which looks like it's
been intricately carved;

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everything is plaster work.

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♪♪

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-After 11 months and a
cost of $1.5 million,

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the Fifth Avenue Theatre
made its public debut

253
00:12:32,418 --> 00:12:36,455
on September 24, 1926.

254
00:12:36,455 --> 00:12:39,225
-Opening night was
apparently, like, insane.

255
00:12:39,225 --> 00:12:41,694
The number of people
exceeds anything

256
00:12:41,694 --> 00:12:44,730
that I can even comprehend
happening today.

257
00:12:44,730 --> 00:12:48,200
-Estimated between 50
and 100,000 people,

258
00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,303
the massive crowd
filled seven blocks.

259
00:12:51,303 --> 00:12:55,374
“A human sardine can,” the
Post-Intelligencer called it,

260
00:12:55,374 --> 00:12:58,177
jammed with more people
than downtown Seattle

261
00:12:58,177 --> 00:12:59,278
had seen in years.

262
00:12:59,278 --> 00:13:01,680
-And the street is just packed
with people and there's

263
00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:04,083
Klieg lights going and
it looks like it was

264
00:13:04,083 --> 00:13:06,018
just a huge party atmosphere.

265
00:13:06,085 --> 00:13:07,753
♪♪

266
00:13:07,853 --> 00:13:11,557
-Those lucky enough to get
inside the 3,000-seat theater

267
00:13:11,557 --> 00:13:13,893
were treated to a night
of entertainment,

268
00:13:13,893 --> 00:13:16,796
starting with future
Oscar-winning composer

269
00:13:16,796 --> 00:13:20,232
Oliver Wallace on the
Fifth's Wurlitzer Organ,

270
00:13:20,232 --> 00:13:22,902
followed by dancers from
Fanchon and Marco's

271
00:13:22,902 --> 00:13:24,937
vaudeville production
of “The Night Club.”

272
00:13:25,004 --> 00:13:26,839
♪♪

273
00:13:26,839 --> 00:13:30,843
The program concluded with
the silent film “Young April,”

274
00:13:30,843 --> 00:13:34,280
capping off an evening that
lasted till after midnight.

275
00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,615
-In its heyday, they
were doing, I believe,

276
00:13:36,615 --> 00:13:39,451
it's like nine
performances a day,

277
00:13:39,451 --> 00:13:42,588
because this is a time when
if you wanted entertainment,

278
00:13:42,588 --> 00:13:43,989
you couldn't stream
it into your house.

279
00:13:43,989 --> 00:13:46,058
You had to go and experience it.

280
00:13:46,192 --> 00:13:47,226
♪♪

281
00:13:47,226 --> 00:13:49,895
-When the curtain closed
on vaudeville acts,

282
00:13:49,895 --> 00:13:52,898
the theater began
showing films full-time.

283
00:13:52,898 --> 00:13:55,801
But it wasn't enough
to just show a movie.

284
00:13:55,801 --> 00:14:00,239
The Fifth tried to turn every
new release into an event.

285
00:14:00,239 --> 00:14:03,542
The entrance would be
elaborately decorated.

286
00:14:03,542 --> 00:14:07,713
Inside, giant studio displays
towered in the lobby.

287
00:14:07,713 --> 00:14:10,816
Even the Fifth's
usherettes got in on it.

288
00:14:10,816 --> 00:14:14,453
Their outfits would often change
with whatever was playing,

289
00:14:14,453 --> 00:14:17,289
turning the staff into
part of the show.

290
00:14:17,289 --> 00:14:20,559
Some films, like 1933's
"Tugboat Annie,"

291
00:14:20,559 --> 00:14:24,029
inspired by Puget Sound's
own tugboat culture,

292
00:14:24,029 --> 00:14:27,233
even held their world
premiere right here.

293
00:14:27,233 --> 00:14:30,269
But the golden age of the
movie palace wouldn't last.

294
00:14:30,269 --> 00:14:33,439
By the 1950s and ‘60s,
television was bringing

295
00:14:33,439 --> 00:14:35,841
entertainment into living rooms.

296
00:14:35,841 --> 00:14:38,878
And new movie theaters were
popping up closer to where

297
00:14:38,878 --> 00:14:40,246
people actually lived.

298
00:14:40,246 --> 00:14:43,515
-Things changed and movies
started having multiplexes.

299
00:14:43,515 --> 00:14:46,185
Downtown was not necessarily
the place everyone

300
00:14:46,185 --> 00:14:47,620
wanted to come to anymore.

301
00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:49,622
♪♪

302
00:14:49,889 --> 00:14:54,493
-In January 1978, the
Fifth closed its doors.

303
00:14:54,493 --> 00:14:57,529
Rumors swirled that the
one-time entertainment palace

304
00:14:57,529 --> 00:15:00,099
would become a
Chinese restaurant,

305
00:15:00,099 --> 00:15:02,701
but a coalition of
local business leaders

306
00:15:02,701 --> 00:15:04,069
had other ideas.

307
00:15:04,603 --> 00:15:07,506
-A group of civic-minded
leaders got together and said,

308
00:15:07,506 --> 00:15:09,575
"Well, wait a minute, we
don't want this beautiful

309
00:15:09,575 --> 00:15:11,043
jewel to disappear."

310
00:15:11,377 --> 00:15:13,479
-No longer would it
be a movie house.

311
00:15:13,479 --> 00:15:16,749
The newly formed Fifth
Avenue Theatre Association

312
00:15:16,749 --> 00:15:20,319
raised millions to convert
it into a permanent home

313
00:15:20,319 --> 00:15:23,055
for live theater and
touring productions.

314
00:15:23,222 --> 00:15:25,324
♪♪

315
00:15:25,624 --> 00:15:30,129
On June 16th, 1980, The Fifth
had its second grand opening.

316
00:15:30,129 --> 00:15:33,332
The following month, the
theater would host a sold out

317
00:15:33,332 --> 00:15:36,302
10 week run of the
Broadway musical “Annie.”

318
00:15:36,302 --> 00:15:38,404
But the comeback wasn't instant.

319
00:15:38,404 --> 00:15:41,340
A recession in the early
‘80s forced the theater

320
00:15:41,340 --> 00:15:42,374
to scale back.

321
00:15:42,808 --> 00:15:44,043
♪♪

322
00:15:44,143 --> 00:15:47,913
A turnaround came in '89,
a new partnership with

323
00:15:47,913 --> 00:15:50,716
Theatre Under the Stars
in Houston, Texas.

324
00:15:50,716 --> 00:15:53,552
Co-producing shows that
played both cities gave

325
00:15:53,552 --> 00:15:56,322
The Fifth the footing to
build its own musicals

326
00:15:56,322 --> 00:15:57,523
from the stage up.

327
00:15:58,524 --> 00:16:00,526
-They hired our first
ever artistic director,

328
00:16:00,526 --> 00:16:03,896
David Armstrong, and David
started really the producing

329
00:16:03,896 --> 00:16:05,197
arm as we know it today...

330
00:16:05,331 --> 00:16:06,565
♪♪

331
00:16:06,632 --> 00:16:09,868
and invited pre-Broadway
engagements to try their

332
00:16:09,868 --> 00:16:11,737
shows out at the Fifth Avenue.

333
00:16:11,737 --> 00:16:16,775
-Since 2001, The Fifth has
premiered 25 new musicals.

334
00:16:16,775 --> 00:16:19,912
Out of those, 10 have made
the leap to Broadway.

335
00:16:19,912 --> 00:16:23,082
-It's a marriage of that great
audience and that theater-going

336
00:16:23,082 --> 00:16:26,151
culture that exists in
Seattle married with the real

337
00:16:26,151 --> 00:16:28,053
craftspeople that
can do this work.

338
00:16:28,620 --> 00:16:33,092
-It's theography and the artisans
and the craftspeople and

339
00:16:33,092 --> 00:16:36,695
the stagehands and everybody
who works together and they

340
00:16:36,695 --> 00:16:40,099
know their drill and they all
have the common goal of we're

341
00:16:40,099 --> 00:16:42,901
going to make this as
amazing as possible.

342
00:16:42,901 --> 00:16:44,136
♪♪

343
00:16:44,236 --> 00:16:47,406
When you do a Broadway show or
show that goes on to Broadway,

344
00:16:47,406 --> 00:16:50,843
you feel like you can go back
and say, I helped work on that.

345
00:16:50,843 --> 00:16:54,847
And even though it has gone
on to three other iterations,

346
00:16:54,847 --> 00:16:56,281
I was still a part of that.

347
00:16:57,349 --> 00:16:58,684
And that's real pride.

348
00:16:58,851 --> 00:17:01,086
♪♪

349
00:17:01,787 --> 00:17:04,656
- Today, the theater is going
through its latest act,

350
00:17:04,656 --> 00:17:07,593
an alliance with the nonprofit
Seattle Theatre Group.

351
00:17:08,694 --> 00:17:10,929
- And adding the
Fifth Avenue Theatre

352
00:17:10,929 --> 00:17:13,966
to the STG's umbrella of
venues, I think it gives

353
00:17:13,966 --> 00:17:17,536
us the opportunity to
stay strongly connected

354
00:17:17,536 --> 00:17:21,974
to historic preservation,
to ensuring that this

355
00:17:21,974 --> 00:17:25,844
facility remains in service
to our community for

356
00:17:25,844 --> 00:17:27,413
another hundred years.

357
00:17:27,413 --> 00:17:29,982
♪♪

358
00:17:30,449 --> 00:17:33,052
-The number of new audiences
that have come in

359
00:17:33,052 --> 00:17:36,121
since STG is working here
now, I've heard people say,

360
00:17:36,121 --> 00:17:37,156
"Oh, when did this...

361
00:17:37,156 --> 00:17:38,991
I've never seen this
building before."

362
00:17:38,991 --> 00:17:42,961
And you're thinking, “It's
been here for a while now,”

363
00:17:42,961 --> 00:17:44,663
but it's introducing
new audiences.

364
00:17:44,663 --> 00:17:47,132
And I think that is amazing.

365
00:17:47,132 --> 00:17:50,269
- The Fifth Avenue Theatre
has gone through many

366
00:17:50,269 --> 00:17:53,505
changes in its first century,
but through it all, its

367
00:17:53,505 --> 00:17:56,975
purpose has stayed the
same, to provide a welcome

368
00:17:56,975 --> 00:18:00,179
escape to everyone who
walks through its doors.

369
00:18:00,479 --> 00:18:02,147
♪♪

370
00:18:02,414 --> 00:18:05,651
- In a hundred years, the Fifth
Avenue will still be here

371
00:18:05,651 --> 00:18:08,754
as a heartbeat of
downtown Seattle.

372
00:18:08,754 --> 00:18:10,856
It'll still be a place
that people gather in

373
00:18:10,856 --> 00:18:15,394
and experience amazing things
together in community.

374
00:18:15,594 --> 00:18:16,762
♪♪

375
00:18:17,029 --> 00:18:20,732
When you sit inside here,
you have magical moments.

376
00:18:20,732 --> 00:18:23,168
It was built as a
place to tell stories,

377
00:18:23,168 --> 00:18:25,137
and I think we'll still
be here doing that.

378
00:18:25,270 --> 00:18:29,641
♪♪

379
00:18:29,942 --> 00:18:31,376
- Now here's a fun fact.

380
00:18:31,376 --> 00:18:34,513
The Fifth's Chinese decor
made its West Coast debut

381
00:18:34,513 --> 00:18:36,949
eight months before
Hollywood's famous

382
00:18:36,949 --> 00:18:40,018
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
opened its doors.

383
00:18:40,018 --> 00:18:41,420
We were first.

384
00:18:41,420 --> 00:18:43,922
The next Seattle theater
to hit the century mark

385
00:18:43,922 --> 00:18:46,725
will be the Paramount in 2028.

386
00:18:46,725 --> 00:18:48,994
♪♪

387
00:18:49,328 --> 00:18:53,198
Bailadores de Bronce dance
to celebrate their culture

388
00:18:53,198 --> 00:18:54,733
and to keep it alive.

389
00:18:54,733 --> 00:18:56,735
We'll explain when we come back.

390
00:18:56,735 --> 00:18:59,505
♪ ♪

391
00:19:00,139 --> 00:19:27,766
♪ ♪

392
00:19:30,869 --> 00:19:34,907
♪♪

393
00:19:36,975 --> 00:19:40,579
Welcome back to CityStream
from the Fifth Avenue Theatre.

394
00:19:40,579 --> 00:19:43,615
One of the ways these older
theaters stay alive is by

395
00:19:43,615 --> 00:19:45,617
getting the best shows possible.

396
00:19:45,617 --> 00:19:49,021
For example, in the Fifth
right now is the Broadway

397
00:19:49,021 --> 00:19:50,556
classic “A Chorus Line.”

398
00:19:50,556 --> 00:19:53,492
Just down the road at the
Moore Theatre, another

399
00:19:53,492 --> 00:19:57,396
favorite will fill the
seats, Bailadores de Bronce.

400
00:19:57,396 --> 00:20:00,899
This local Latino dance
troupe performs with purpose.

401
00:20:00,899 --> 00:20:03,535
With every show, they keep
their heritage alive.

402
00:20:03,535 --> 00:20:07,172
And with every performer,
they hope to instill an even

403
00:20:07,172 --> 00:20:09,408
greater sense of cultural pride.

404
00:20:09,408 --> 00:20:11,610
Producer Ian Devier
has their story.

405
00:20:11,977 --> 00:20:13,412
[crowds cheering]

406
00:20:13,412 --> 00:20:16,014
♪♪

407
00:20:16,515 --> 00:20:18,350
-I love the footwork.

408
00:20:18,350 --> 00:20:19,518
I love the music.

409
00:20:19,518 --> 00:20:20,752
I love the skirt work.

410
00:20:20,919 --> 00:20:22,554
♪♪

411
00:20:23,088 --> 00:20:25,791
-What I feel is I kind
of forget everything

412
00:20:25,791 --> 00:20:29,127
that's going on outside
of dance, just everything

413
00:20:29,127 --> 00:20:32,364
else and in that moment I'm just
focused on what I'm doing and

414
00:20:32,364 --> 00:20:34,600
most importantly
just having fun.

415
00:20:34,733 --> 00:20:37,636
♪♪

416
00:20:38,070 --> 00:20:40,772
-The community that it
creates is so incredibly

417
00:20:40,772 --> 00:20:43,742
special because we're
trying to produce something

418
00:20:43,742 --> 00:20:46,878
so incredibly beautiful and
we're rooted in this one

419
00:20:46,878 --> 00:20:48,547
common culture that we have.

420
00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:49,615
♪♪

421
00:20:49,781 --> 00:20:53,185
-Hearing the lively music, the
drums, the trumpets, the guitars...

422
00:20:53,285 --> 00:20:56,255
♪♪

423
00:20:56,455 --> 00:20:57,456
the trumpets, the guitars

424
00:20:57,456 --> 00:21:01,059
all together and performing
to that, and doing the steps.

425
00:21:01,059 --> 00:21:04,096
I like it because it's
where I can be myself.

426
00:21:04,162 --> 00:21:05,564
♪♪

427
00:21:05,631 --> 00:21:13,538
- One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.

428
00:21:14,206 --> 00:21:16,775
- Normally when we
do a show this big...

429
00:21:16,775 --> 00:21:17,643
Let's try it.

430
00:21:17,643 --> 00:21:19,177
We start preparing.

431
00:21:19,311 --> 00:21:22,547
♪ rhythmic tap dancing ♪

432
00:21:22,547 --> 00:21:26,184
During probably a year
and a half before...

433
00:21:26,184 --> 00:21:28,520
♪ rhythmic tap dancing ♪

434
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:32,090
I started dancing folklorico
when I was five years old.

435
00:21:32,090 --> 00:21:36,662
It was at my elementary
school, Concord in South Park.

436
00:21:36,662 --> 00:21:40,299
And we had a teacher
there that saw a small

437
00:21:40,299 --> 00:21:43,735
group of Hispanic kids
and she wanted to do

438
00:21:43,735 --> 00:21:45,203
something for them.

439
00:21:45,203 --> 00:21:47,973
And so she decided to
start a dance group.

440
00:21:47,973 --> 00:21:50,309
And she actually brought
someone from Bronce

441
00:21:50,309 --> 00:21:51,710
to come help teach.

442
00:21:51,743 --> 00:21:53,111
♪♪

443
00:21:53,178 --> 00:21:56,214
I think what drew me
in was the skirt.

444
00:21:56,214 --> 00:22:00,018
- You know, as a kid, I think
costuming and the music

445
00:22:00,018 --> 00:22:01,887
makes you fall in
love really quickly.

446
00:22:01,887 --> 00:22:03,722
When you grow up in
a space, I think,

447
00:22:03,722 --> 00:22:06,558
as white as Seattle,
as the Northwest,

448
00:22:06,558 --> 00:22:10,195
especially back in the '90s,
making sure that again we

449
00:22:10,195 --> 00:22:13,832
were rooted in our culture
was, I think my mother

450
00:22:13,832 --> 00:22:14,933
understood the wisdom in them.

451
00:22:15,033 --> 00:22:16,635
♪♪

452
00:22:16,635 --> 00:22:20,005
-I started dancing back in
Mexico because it's required

453
00:22:20,005 --> 00:22:23,508
in the elementary school,
but then I moved to the

454
00:22:23,508 --> 00:22:27,846
US and in Bellevue there
was nothing for Latinos.

455
00:22:27,946 --> 00:22:29,781
♪♪

456
00:22:30,115 --> 00:22:35,187
After high school, I saw
my cousin dancing because

457
00:22:35,187 --> 00:22:37,255
he kept inviting us.

458
00:22:37,255 --> 00:22:40,559
He was actually a member
of Bailadores de Bronce.

459
00:22:40,559 --> 00:22:44,496
-Well, I went to the university
and I started in 1976.

460
00:22:44,496 --> 00:22:47,799
I was not there initially
when it started, but it was

461
00:22:47,799 --> 00:22:49,768
pretty close to the beginning.

462
00:22:49,768 --> 00:22:50,802
There was a class.

463
00:22:50,969 --> 00:22:52,270
♪♪

464
00:22:52,270 --> 00:22:55,941
We were dancing in Meany Hall
in the Ethnic Cultural Theater

465
00:22:55,941 --> 00:22:57,943
at the University of Washington.

466
00:22:57,943 --> 00:23:02,814
It's a small little theater, but
we were happy to fill it up.

467
00:23:02,948 --> 00:23:04,216
♪♪

468
00:23:04,416 --> 00:23:08,754
Now when they perform, there's
eight couples and all that.

469
00:23:08,754 --> 00:23:10,856
We are lucky to
have three couples.

470
00:23:10,889 --> 00:23:12,391
♪♪

471
00:23:12,457 --> 00:23:13,892
'Cause it was a small group,

472
00:23:15,060 --> 00:23:18,597
and just little by little,
you know, we grew.

473
00:23:19,197 --> 00:23:20,532
- We perform all over.

474
00:23:20,532 --> 00:23:23,502
We've performed Mariners,
the Sounders game.

475
00:23:23,502 --> 00:23:26,037
We've done weddings,
we do festivals,

476
00:23:26,037 --> 00:23:29,975
We do, you know, community
cultural gatherings.

477
00:23:30,675 --> 00:23:39,184
♪ rhythmic tap dancing ♪

478
00:23:40,318 --> 00:23:42,821
What's gonna happen is
the music will start,

479
00:23:42,821 --> 00:23:45,190
the Nuevo Leon will
end, the band...

480
00:23:45,190 --> 00:23:48,059
♪♪ 

481
00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:53,198
-Over the years we have done
more theater performances.

482
00:23:53,198 --> 00:23:56,735
-Any time I get to dance
particularly for my community

483
00:23:56,735 --> 00:23:58,570
is really, really special.

484
00:23:58,570 --> 00:23:59,771
[grito call]

485
00:23:59,771 --> 00:24:03,442
During times when we were
told where stereotypes are

486
00:24:03,442 --> 00:24:05,977
kind of flying our way,
especially with the youth

487
00:24:05,977 --> 00:24:09,347
that I teach, being able to
ground them in the truth

488
00:24:09,347 --> 00:24:11,817
that where they come
from is beautiful.

489
00:24:11,817 --> 00:24:13,585
For me, that's what
folklorico does.

490
00:24:13,585 --> 00:24:16,521
It gives me community, but it
also grounds me in the beauty

491
00:24:16,521 --> 00:24:20,325
of my culture, so that when I'm
faced with things like that,

492
00:24:20,325 --> 00:24:24,196
I cannot be lied to, because
I know the truth of where

493
00:24:24,196 --> 00:24:25,163
it came from.

494
00:24:26,298 --> 00:24:30,735
-The one thing that a lot of our
audience says is, “thank you

495
00:24:30,735 --> 00:24:33,939
for bringing a piece
of home to us.”

496
00:24:33,939 --> 00:24:36,875
-Seeing the energy that
we bring to the stage is

497
00:24:36,875 --> 00:24:37,809
what they take with them.

498
00:24:38,477 --> 00:24:42,514
-I think when people see you on
a stage like that, when they

499
00:24:42,514 --> 00:24:47,385
see that the theater is full,
and they just feel home.

500
00:24:47,385 --> 00:24:50,789
-Not just people that come
from Mexico, but for those

501
00:24:50,789 --> 00:24:52,757
that never got to experience.

502
00:24:54,125 --> 00:24:58,230
-I would say everybody likes to
see folkloric dances because it

503
00:24:58,230 --> 00:25:00,365
brings out different cultures.

504
00:25:00,365 --> 00:25:03,401
-Every state in Mexico
has a different style,

505
00:25:03,401 --> 00:25:06,838
different music, different
footwork, different

506
00:25:06,838 --> 00:25:12,811
costuming that represents and
tells a story of that state.

507
00:25:12,811 --> 00:25:17,182
-In the northern states we have
influence from German, Austrian

508
00:25:17,182 --> 00:25:20,552
instruments and music
styles like polkas.

509
00:25:20,552 --> 00:25:22,821
And then in the
south, like Jalisco,

510
00:25:22,821 --> 00:25:26,057
we have a lot of the French
and Spanish mixture.

511
00:25:26,057 --> 00:25:29,794
And even in the southern
states, we have a lot of the

512
00:25:29,794 --> 00:25:31,763
higher class Spanish.

513
00:25:31,763 --> 00:25:34,099
And there is Afro descendants.

514
00:25:34,099 --> 00:25:37,736
All the mix of culture
and races and everything,

515
00:25:37,736 --> 00:25:39,671
it just made it more rich.

516
00:25:39,671 --> 00:25:41,339
It's a big blend.

517
00:25:41,540 --> 00:25:44,843
♪♪

518
00:25:44,843 --> 00:25:49,748
-Our dancers range
from 14 and up.

519
00:25:49,748 --> 00:25:57,556
♪ ♪ 

520
00:25:57,556 --> 00:26:00,058
-When I first started dancing
with Hojas Mestizas,

521
00:26:00,058 --> 00:26:03,128
and I transitioned into
Bronce, and then started

522
00:26:03,128 --> 00:26:04,095
performing at 14.

523
00:26:04,095 --> 00:26:06,665
♪♪

524
00:26:06,665 --> 00:26:09,568
Getting to share the
stage with my family,

525
00:26:09,568 --> 00:26:12,671
you have to try and soak
up every moment of it.

526
00:26:12,671 --> 00:26:13,939
♪♪

527
00:26:13,939 --> 00:26:16,274
-Time flies when you're dancing.

528
00:26:16,274 --> 00:26:19,811
Is the music starts and
all of a sudden it's done.

529
00:26:19,811 --> 00:26:22,380
And you just remember
interacting with

530
00:26:22,380 --> 00:26:23,748
your fellow dancers.

531
00:26:23,748 --> 00:26:27,652
-You can see on their
smile and the applause.

532
00:26:27,652 --> 00:26:31,690
It's a joyful event
for everybody.

533
00:26:31,690 --> 00:26:33,592
-I think it's important that
we continue that and that

534
00:26:33,592 --> 00:26:34,526
we continue to supporting

535
00:26:35,827 --> 00:26:38,930
that youth, supporting
these programs is crucial.

536
00:26:40,432 --> 00:26:43,335
-I'm just always lucky and I
think after each show when we do

537
00:26:43,335 --> 00:26:46,204
our bows, that's 
when it really hits.

538
00:26:46,204 --> 00:26:48,740
We are able to still connect

539
00:26:48,740 --> 00:26:53,612
with our culture and do these
dances that have been done for

540
00:26:53,612 --> 00:26:56,581
hundreds of years is beautiful.

541
00:26:56,581 --> 00:27:00,352
-It is just pure joy.

542
00:27:00,819 --> 00:27:08,193
[crowd loudly cheers 
and applauds]

543
00:27:09,894 --> 00:27:13,465
-Bailadores de Bronce's
rehearsals are open to the

544
00:27:13,465 --> 00:27:17,202
public and free to join in,
no experience required.

545
00:27:17,202 --> 00:27:20,839
However, you will need
some special zapatos,

546
00:27:20,839 --> 00:27:22,874
that's shoes in Spanish.

547
00:27:22,874 --> 00:27:26,378
So before you go, you
should reach out to them at

548
00:27:29,414 --> 00:27:32,050
♪♪

549
00:27:32,050 --> 00:27:35,787
Bailadores de Bronce recently
performed for El Centro

550
00:27:35,787 --> 00:27:39,124
de la Raza's Building a
Beloved Community event,

551
00:27:39,124 --> 00:27:42,527
which, by the way, coincides
with Latino Heritage Month

552
00:27:42,527 --> 00:27:44,896
running through October 15th.

553
00:27:44,896 --> 00:27:47,499
It's a good time to shine
a light on the work

554
00:27:47,499 --> 00:27:48,967
and growth of El Centro.

555
00:27:48,967 --> 00:27:52,037
For more than 50 years,
Latino immigrants have

556
00:27:52,037 --> 00:27:55,073
come here looking for
help, and in the process,

557
00:27:55,073 --> 00:27:56,741
they've found community.

558
00:27:56,741 --> 00:27:59,277
To learn more about
El Centro de la Raza,

559
00:27:59,277 --> 00:28:03,415
you can watch our web extra
at seattlechannel.org

560
00:28:03,415 --> 00:28:05,750
or on our YouTube channel.

561
00:28:07,952 --> 00:28:10,922
-Seattle Channel, recipient
of the National Association

562
00:28:10,922 --> 00:28:13,858
of Telecommunications
Officers and Advisors

563
00:28:13,858 --> 00:28:16,861
2025 Overall Excellence Award.

564
00:28:16,861 --> 00:28:19,464
The highest honor for a
government TV station

565
00:28:19,464 --> 00:28:21,700
in the country.

566
00:28:23,835 --> 00:28:26,638
♪♪

567
00:28:28,707 --> 00:28:31,543
-That's all for this
episode of CityStream.

568
00:28:31,543 --> 00:28:33,912
I love seeing all the
shows at the 5th,

569
00:28:33,912 --> 00:28:36,948
as well as the other
historic Seattle theaters

570
00:28:36,948 --> 00:28:38,383
that are around town.

571
00:28:38,383 --> 00:28:40,685
If you'd like to see
what's coming up,

572
00:28:40,685 --> 00:28:44,489
including Bailadores de Bronce
on October 23rd at the Moore,

573
00:28:44,489 --> 00:28:47,759
you can go to the Seattle
Theatre Group's website at

574
00:28:50,395 --> 00:28:53,198
And if you'd like to learn
more about the Seattle Channel

575
00:28:53,198 --> 00:28:55,400
and its award-winning
programming,

576
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:59,771
visit seattlechannel.org or
follow us on social media.

577
00:28:59,771 --> 00:29:02,340
I'm Enrique Cerna,
thanks for watching.

578
00:29:02,874 --> 00:29:18,857
♪ ♪

579
00:29:22,060 --> 00:29:26,264
♪ ♪