EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Viva! El Paso is marking its 49th season of showcasing local talent and telling the story of the Borderland.
As the show nears the end of the season, three local performers reflect on what it was like to step onto the McKelligon Canyon stage and be a part of this long-running production.
Viva! El Paso marks 49th season at McKelligon Canyon. Credit: Viva! El Paso
“For me, my family has been that family that has seen ‘Viva’ every year so for me it’s kind of like a circle, a whole circle moment where it’s like something that I dreamed of being a part of and helping and showing my community and what my community could do is a big part for me and it’s a dream come true for me,” said Maya Rivera one of the performers and lead dancers.
For performer Aiden Vaca, this year is a first in more ways than one.
“This is actually my first time being a part of Viva and… the first time my family sees the show, so it’s very exciting for them… and also for me as well to be able to perform and be a part of a performance that has been in my culture, my community for quite some time now,” Vaca said.
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Maya Rivera, featured performer & lead dancer (left), Aiden Vaca, featured performer (middle) and Nia Del Angel, featured performer & lead dancer (right). Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
Performer and lead dancer Nia Del Angel said her first experience with Viva! El Paso was in 2018, when she performed in an opening number.
“After being part of the opening we saw the show and I was absolutely in love with everything that had to do with the storyline, the costumes, just the fact that every single person on that stage was local and it was local talent,” Del Angel said. “It means so much that we are given the opportunity to show our talent, to show our abilities, and that young talent like Aiden are able to, you know, show the community what we’re made of.”
Meanwhile, Rivera said people should come and see the work that local talent can produce.
“I think just the raw natural talent that we have in Viva El Paso, we have singers, we have dancers, our tech crew- it’s all hard work that we put in,” Rivera said. “A lot of it is not, we’re not professionals, a lot of us are high school students, some of us are professionals, and some of us are just joining the show for fun.”
Viva! El Paso has been going on every Friday and Saturday at the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre since June 26 and will continue until August 1.
For ticket information, visit VivaElPaso.org.
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