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It’s about a month until Madeline Sanchez’s quinceñara, a traditional Hispanic celebration of the transition from childhood to womanhood.
Her first private dance lesson in July marks the start of learning four choreographed dances typical for the occasion with her family and three teen boys she grew up with.
“It’s like a once in a lifetime experience for me,” Madeline said.
Her parents, Diego and Bertha sit in the hall outside a mirrored room at the Center for the Arts.
In a moment of respite amidst the planning, Diego said he was feeling “a little nervous.”
One of his daughter’s dancers is late and he’s worried he won’t show.
But he does, 15 minutes late.
So begins rehearsal.
The 14-year-old Jackson Hole High School student is timid, clasping her hands as she leads her spectacled younger brother and friends to the dance floor.
In the center of the room, Madeline learns her steps quickly from an instructor, the boy’s feet stomping behind her as they practice backup.
“Paso, uno, dos… Paso, uno, dos,” the instructor said, encouraging each dancer to loosen their hips.
With a wave of Madeline’s hand, the boys kneel then stand in unison, sway and step closer. She takes a seat in their hands and they lift her from the ground and start to spin.
It’s clear she is in charge.
They have a month to learn four dances and though they’ve started learning later than ideal, Madeline’s not very nervous. She’s been to five “quinces” already this summer.
“I have been having fun and making friends and really just living life,” Madeline said, “I really just want to have no regrets.”
No regrets means embracing the celebration that comes with lots of attention. Some of her friends have opted out of their own celebrations, she said.
Her parents, Diego and Bertha Sanchez started planning over six months ago for the fifteenth birthday celebration that can rival weddings in size and planning.
The Sanchez family is just one of many going through the motions.
Dance rehearsals started mid-July for Madeline’s quinceañera. (Dante Filpula Ankney / KHOL)
Every summer weekend between Jackson, Victor and Alpine, there’s likely a quinceañera, he said. He’s been to four in the past few months.
“It’s a lot of work. A lot of work. And we’ve got to spend a lot of days, a lot of time,” Diego said.
Diego recently traveled to Salt Lake City to get himself a suit and dresses for his wife and daughter.
Besides hours planning and on the road, it takes tens of thousands of dollars to deliver a crown, a dress, a second dress, suits for dancers, private dance lessons, a venue, decorations, a cake, food, and drinks.
Diego and Betha want a seamless celebration. And as it nears, just about a month out, they expect those nerves to get a little bit worse.
“I’m here because that’s one of my dreams for my daughter,” Diego said, “[to] just try to help her with that dream.”
