A group of young women in a youth detention center in Albany have been rehearsing for a unique dance performance.
Oak Creek Correctional Facility is the Oregon Youth Authority’s only unit for girls. Three years ago, OYA’s Hispanic Services Coordinator, Paola Sumoza-Maciel started a Folklorico Dance program. It was inspired by a young woman who missed her quinceañera because she was in custody.
“You can tell that it's a therapy for them" Sumoza-Maciel told KLCC. "You know, it's something that they forget about everything, they focus on what they're doing, they work together as a team.”
Dressed in traditional, flowing gowns over their standard-issue clothing, the girls said they especially enjoy the “Surprise Dance,” a more contemporary piece of music often heard at quinceañeras.
This year, for the first time, they’ll be able to perform in front of family. One dancer, Kaitlyn (last names are withheld to preserve privacy), is looking forward to it.
“I’m stoked. I'm really excited,” she said, laughing.
Sumoza-Maciel said the Folklorico group grew from six dancers the first year, to 25 this fall. She would love to expand it to each of the OYA’s nine facilities. There’s a song she wants to teach the young men.
“I told them one of the songs that we get to do, it's the Caballo Dorado, which is the Achy Breaky Heart.”
She said that one gets everyone dancing, from little ones to grandmas.
Griselda Solano-Salinas, the Director of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations, said dancing promotes healing.
“The importance here is to remind them about what they used to do that was fun for them,” she said. “So we can bring good memories back, so they can remember ‘somebody's waiting for me outside’ and there are some fun activities that I can do there.”
Note: KLCC has reported on multiple allegations of abuse that occurred as recently as 2023 at OYA facilities, including MacLaren, in Woodburn, and Oak Creek. Links to those stories are included below.
