Calendar of Events (3.30.07)

ONGOING

LEARN TO DANCE SALSA AND MERENGUE Salsa, merengue and even belly-dance lessons combine with exercise throughout the week:

• Monday 8:30 a,m. Cha-cha-cha 6 p.m. Belly Dance, 7 p.m. Cha-cha-cha 9 p.m.

• Monday 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. salsa class at Cimarron Country Club, 1200 S. Shary Road, Mission.

• Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 12:15 -1:15 p.m. and 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Pharr United Methodist Church, 119 Kelly St.

• Tuesday 8:30 a.m. salsa, 6 p.m. merengue, 7 p.m. salsa styling for men and women, 8-9 p.m. beginners, salsa couple class, bachata.

• Wednesday 8:30 a.m. merengue; 6 p.m. belly dance beginners, 7 p.m. salsa beginners & intermediate

• Thursday 8:30 a.m. belly dancing, 7 p.m. salsa beginners

• Friday 8:30 a.m. salsa styling

• Saturday 10:30 a.m. cha-cha, 11:30 a.m. belly dance, 1 p.m. ballroom rumba, 4 p.m. quinceañeras, 6 p.m. wedding rehearsal

For more information call us at (956) 566-9555, e-mail us at salsadance@rgv.rr.com, or go to www.salsadanceandfitness.com. Salsa Dance and Fitness is located at 400 W. Nolana, Suite N2, McAllen.

NUEVA ONDA POETS CAFÉ dedicated exclusively to the South Texas poetry scene. The Nueva Onda Poets Café features a variety of poets, musicians, storytellers, and spoken word artists dedicated to sharing and celebrating the oral traditions native to South Texas. Come and test your skills, share your thoughts, enjoy great Mexican food, or just listen to the best poets from throughout the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. All are invited. Located at 2717 N. McColl (corner of Rogers & McColl). Contact Amado Balderas (956) 457-0165 or (956) 386-0960 or nuevaondapoetry@hotmail.com for more information.

INTEGRATED BODY FITNESS program at Mundo Bello Institute. Current classes include yoga, holistic movement and aikido. Classes are practiced in a workshop format so you can work at your own pace in a friendly atmosphere within a group of other dedicated people. The instructor leads the class through an exploration and investigation of the body’s muscles, joints and skeletal system to re-establish freedom of movement. First yoga or holistic movement class is free. No contracts. For more information, call Mundo Bello Institute (a non-profit organization) at (956) 781-9616 or visit www.mundobelloinstitute.org. Mundo Bello is located at 323 E. Owassa Road., Suite 15 (1 block east of US Hwy 281).

ACTING/DIRECTING WORKSHOPS are being offered by Teatro Nuestra Cultura for children ages 12 and older and for adults who are serious about learning advanced acting. The five-week, 20-hour workshops are on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays at the McAllen Creative Incubator, 1001 S. 16th St., McAllen. Students will learn through a series of exercises, skits, improvisations, character development and script analysis. The workshop, “Acting is a Craft” is conducted by Pedro Garcia, a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Tuition fees are $200. For more information call (956) 655-9308.

AIKIDO CLASSES FOR ADULTS & KIDS Aikido is a non-violent martial art that translates as “the way of the spirit of harmony.” The goal is to blend with a person’s movement, redirect it and resolve conflict as peacefully as possible. Aikido can be practiced by men, women and children of all ages. Benefits include increased energy, concentration, flexibility, toned muscle, self-confidence. RGV Aikikai is a non-profit organization offering these classes affordably as a community service. Open seven days a week, no contracts. Located at 323 E. Owassa Road, Suite 15 (located 1 block east of US Hwy. 281). For more information call (956) 781-9616 or visit www.aikido.org/rgvaikikai.

SOULSKILLS INFORMAL LEARNING STUDIO invites you to seek life skills through a variety of short courses, classes and seminars. The studio currently offers classes for children, teens and adults in etiquette, belly dancing, Spanish, grant writing and leadership. Independent contractors/instructors are sought for new classes in all topics. New classes are added weekly; check the Web site for more information, www.soulskills.org or call (956) 682-9665. SOULSkills is located at 4405 N. 22nd St., in McAllen.

THE NARCISO MARTINEZ CULTURAL ARTS CENTER is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Accordion and bajo sexto lessons are available to children and adults Mondays and Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuition fees are $60 per month, which includes four one-hour individual lessons. Please contact NMCAC to register. Numerous cultural resources are available at NMCAC for the public’s use, including videos, books and music CDs. The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center is located at 225 E. Stenger Street in San Benito. For more information call (956) 361-0110.

CLASSES IN OIL PAINTING by Vincent Laguna 9:30 a.m.-noon, Tuesday and Thursday at the Upper Valley Art League, Kika de la Garza Art Center, 921 E. 12th St., Mission. Membership fee is $25 annually; class fee is $15. Evening classes available with at least six students in attendance. For more information, call Laguna at (956) 631-5305 or Maxilou Link at (956) 583-2787.

THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY FILM COMMISSION’S Executive Committee is calling for artists and technicians interested in working or volunteering in the film industry. If you are interested in serving as a director of photography, light technician, actor, extra or other position in the film industry, your name, resume and contact information will be placed on a major contact list. The list will be utilized for interested area and out of area film makers who make the Valley their film project destination and are looking for individuals who have experience or who express an interest in the entertainment industry. For more information and to register your name on the contact list, please contact Evana Vleck of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce at (956) 383-4974 or via e-mail at marketing@edinburg.com. There is no cost to participate.

PAAWS (PEOPLE ADVOCATING ANIMAL WELFARE SERVICES) COOKBOOKS are available at the Upper Valley Humane Society. Each book contains 200 recipes submitted by friends of PAAWS and is priced at $10. This nonprofit organization is raising money to assist low income families with the spaying and neutering of their pets. Call (956) 686-1141 or go by the Upper Valley Humane Society office at 2501 W. Trenton Road between McColl and Jackson, Edinburg.

THE McALLEN ARTS COUNCIL invites individual artists and art organizations to apply for their annual grant program. The grant program in McAllen distributes money from The McAllen Chamber of Commerce and Texas Commission on the Arts to individual artists and art organizations. The deadline for applications is Fri., March 23. For more information regarding the grants program or to request an application contact Rita Perera or Nidia Gonzalez at McAllen Chamber of Commerce on (956) 687-2787 or rperera@mcallencvb.com.

SILVER FROM COLONIAL MEXICO OPENS AT IMAS, 1900 Bicentennial Blvd., McAllen. The exhibit is a selection of 30 silver objects from the world-renowned Backal private collection through July 29. Some of the objects included in the exhibit are crowns, plates, candlesticks, and chalices. IMAS is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. General admission is $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and $3 for children 3-12. Children under the age of 3 are get in free. Call (956) 682-1564 for more information.

THE TEXAS VALLEY COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION (TVCOF) announces the opening of its 2007 Grant Cycle. TVCOF is a public charitable organization that promotes the creation of endowments to meet the public charitable needs of the four county areas of the Rio Grande Valley. TVCOF is concerned about the community as a whole and plans to make strategic investments in local nonprofits that will address specific needs in our target area. For the 2007 grant cycle, TVCOF will have a total of $25,000 in grant funds. The maximum grant is $7,500. Call Charo Egan, Executive Director for TVCOF at 956-369-9513 or please go to our Web page to download the guidelines & application for this grant www.tvcof.org.

DANCE CONSERVATORY OF McALLEN is currently enrolling students for ballet, jazz/hip hop, flamenco, folklorico, ballroom, belly dance, and tumbling classes. Classes are offered from 5 to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday; and from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The school is located at 4320 N. Bicentennial Blvd., McAllen. Call (956) 682-7417 for more information.

WILD IS ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR THE WRITERS’ BLOCK. The theme for the next issue (No. 35) of WILD’s The Writers’ Block is Guardian Angels. Instructions: Send your short stories, short dramas and poems to Tom Fuschetto at tomf@southtexascollege.edu with subject line of “submission.” Length must be no more than 2,500 words. WILD also accepts photocopies of original artwork and photos, especially drawings. Deadline is Friday, April 27. Submissions are open to all.

ART EXHIBIT TO BENEFIT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY hosted at The Loft, located at 501 W. Business 83. The exhibit continues through April 22. “Clark Art for Habitat,” is an exhibit with new art work that Kirk Clark and Anne Clark-Lawson have just produced. More than 65 contemporary works will be available for purchase, with all proceeds benefiting Rio Grande Habitat for Humanity. Rio Grande Habitat for Humanity, located at 412 W. Ash Avenue, across from the Loft, is a Christian non-profit organization that builds homes for people that need a hand up, not a hand out. Rio Grande Habitat for Humanity will have an open house and conduct volunteer-guided tours of the facility that evening. For more information, contact DeAnna Garza, Coordinator, at deanna@kirkclark.com, or Jack Tierney, Executive Director of Rio Grande Habitat for Humanity, at jtierney@rgv-habitat.org.

CINESOL FILM FESTIVAL is currently accepting film entries. The 14th Annual Cinesol Film Festival is set for Labor Day weekend, Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at the South Padre Island Convention Center. Send in your documentaries, features, shorts, horrors, comedies. The Early Bird deadline is May 1. For more information, call (956) 793-8783 or visit www.cinesol.com.

TODAY

WINE CLASS & TASTER begins at 7 p.m. every Friday at Le Bistro Café in McAllen. To best judge the wines tasted, fresh fruit, cheese and French bread will be served. No reservations required. $10. 682-3419.

NOW SHOWING AT CINE EL REY: LITTLE CHILDREN. Cine El Rey is located at 311 S. 17th St., McAllen. For more information, call 971-9825 or visit cineelrey.com for show times.

PIZZA AND PAGES PROGRAM FOR TEENS The second Friday of each month, the Palm View Branch Library hosts a program called Pizza and Pages for teens between the ages of 12 and 17. Teens will get a chance to hear about cool books at the library and eat yummy snacks afterward. The first Pizza and Pages program is from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. Friday. For more information, contact the Palm View Branch Children’s Department at (956) 688-3322.

WILD PRESENTS CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S THE KID (1921) tracked to modern music at 7 p.m. Friday in South Texas College Auditorium, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., McAllen. Admission is $1. The Kid is Chaplin’s first masterpiece, starring Jackie Coogan, the future Uncle Fester. The Tramp finds an abandoned child and raises him as his own. Five years later, the child welfare organizations try to take the child (Coogan) away, while the child’s mother (Edna Purviance) is still trying to find him. For more information, contact Tom Fuschetto at 872-3487 or via e-mail at tomf@southtexascollege.edu.

SATURDAY

UPPER VALLEY ART LEAGUE presents children’s art classes. Classes offered include beginning drawing and painting, and beginning and intermediate painting. Classes are every Saturday for six weeks. For more information call 583-2787 or 581-7669.

ADULT BALLET FITNESS is available every Wed. from 6:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. and 8:30 -9:30 a.m. Sat. at the Deborah Case Dance Academy to all adults seeking a physically fit body. The class focuses on stretching and strengthening with ballet techniques to classical music. Interested persons may come by the Dance Academy, located at 5240 N. 10th. Street in McAllen, or call (956) 682-2721, or check online at dcda.com for more information. The first class is free of charge, as well as all first classes at the dance academy for ages 3 to adult.

NOW SHOWING AT CINE EL REY: LITTLE CHILDREN, COMEDIA A GO GO. Cine El Rey is located at 311 S. 17th St., McAllen. For more information, call 971-9825 or visit cineelrey.com for show times.

GERMAN JOE’S POLKA BAND plays from 2-6 p.m. Saturdays at the Riverside Club. Food and bar beverages are available and admission is free. The Riverside Club is located at 214 E. Chimney Road (21/2 miles south on Conway and ¼ mile west) in Mission. For more information, call the Riverside Club at 581-1033 or visit the Web site www.ontheriver.net/about.html.

EIGHTH ANNUAL KITE FUN FLY presented by San Carlos community volunteers and Texas A&M CHUD is from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday at the San Carlos Community Center on Highway 107. The Kite Building Workshop is from 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. The Kite Flying event is from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. All materials will be provided for the kite building workshop. There are no fees for this event. Food and beverages will be available for sale to raise funds for non-profit organizations. For more information contact Juan Reyes at 383-7768 or Flor Leal at 387-0692.

TROT OUT YOUR POODLE SKIRT AND PENNY LOAFERS and go back to the ’50’s with an old-fashioned sock hop at 6 p.m. Saturday at Pharr United Methodist Church, 119 E. Kelly in Pharr. Everyone of any age is welcome. Prizes for the best dress. Refreshments provided by Peter Piper Pizza. Admission $5 per person. Funds raised will benefit Pharr United Methodist Church. For more information, call 781-5539.

SUNDAY

NOW SHOWING AT CINE EL REY: LITTLE CHILDREN. Cine El Rey is located at 311 S. 17th St., McAllen. For more information, call 971-9825 or visit cineelrey.com for show times.

LIVE WRESTLING: Salinas Promotions presents free-style wrestling. Show starts at 1 p.m. Pre-sale tickets available. Located at Ochoa’s Flea Market, 4 Mile Line and Conway, Mission. Admission is $8 adults, $5 for children. For more ticket information call (956) 457-9828.

MONDAY

NOW SHOWING AT CINE EL REY: LITTLE CHILDREN. Cine El Rey is located at 311 S. 17th St., McAllen. For more information, call 971-9825 or visit cineelrey.com for show times.

THE METRO TOASTMASTERS meet each Monday, noon to 1 p.m. at the McAllen Memorial Library third floor conference room, 601 N. Main. Participants practice listening, thinking, speaking and leadership skills. Visitors are welcome. For more information, call Bob at (956) 686-8841 or Miguel at (956) 661-4502.

STORY SWAP The RGV Storyteller Guild members swap stories and learn about the art of storytelling. We welcome active storytellers and those who just want to listen. The monthly meeting of the RGV Storyteller Guild is at 7:45 p.m. Monday at Barnes & Noble, 4005 N. 10th St., McAllen. Mark your calendars for our next meetings and May 7. For more information call 464-2129.

STC’S SPRING 2007 STUDENT ART SHOW AND COMPETITION, showcasing South Texas College student work completed in studio art classes, is on display Monday in the B-103 art gallery located South Texas College, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., McAllen. The exhibit represents works completed in art studio classes from the 2006 and 2007 semesters. There will be an artists’ reception hosted by Kirk Clark at 7 p.m. April 12 in the art gallery. Clark will jury the show and determine awards to be given to students in their respective categories. For more information call Eduardo Garcia at 872-3473 or Richard Lubben at 872-2541.

TUESDAY

FREE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE class offered by The McAllen Chamber of Commerce. This seminar is part of a compilation of workshops and seminars called the Cultural Arts & Entertainment Series. The workshops and seminars in the series have been organized to educate, raise awareness and stimulate learning about different types of art and foreign cultures that exist in our community. Presenter Jennifer Powell graduated from South Carolina School for the Deaf and Gallaudet University. She is an independent living specialist for the deaf at Valley Association for Independent Living. The class is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the McA2 Creative Incubator, located at 1001 S. 16th St., McAllen. Space is limited so register early. To register and/or more information regarding the “American Sign Language Class” contact Rita Perera or Prisma Beltran on (956) 687-2787.

WEDNESDAY

RIO GRANDE VALLEY WRITERS meet at 1:30 p.m. every Wednesday on the third floor of the McAllen Memorial Library, located at 601 N. Main. All poets and writers, new or published are encouraged to attend. For more information, call (956) 783-7421.

BOOK BUNCH PROGRAM Boys and girls in second through fourth grade are invited to Palm View Branch Library’s Book Bunch program, a book club for elementary school students. It will be presented from 4 to 5 p.m. every second Wednesday of the month. Kids will listen to a variety of storybooks or selections from short chapter books. Afterwards, kids will discuss the book and have the opportunity to make a simple craft. For more information about the Book Bunch or other children’s programs, contact the Palm View Branch Children’s Department at (956) 688-3322.

WILD (WRITERS IN LITERARY DISCUSSION) welcomes you to join them in watching “The WILD Show.” Watch original films created by STC students, faculty, and staff. This show includes comedy, romantic dramas, scary scenes, artistic cinema experimentations, satires, and much more. 11 a.m. to noon every Wed., in Building H Student Lounge, South Texas College, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., McAllen. For more information, contact Tom Fuschetto at 928-3487 or tomf@southtexascollege.edu. Free admission.

ARGENTINE TANGO LESSONS from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Plantation Country Club (Tierra Del Sol) Banquet Room, 600 E. Plantation Dr., Pharr. Floor fee of $2 for non-members. For more information, call Hak-Nam Kim at (956) 789-5503.

WORKING WOMENS’ WEDNESDAY FEATURING SALSA LESSONS AND LIVE MUSIC at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Red Moon Saloon, 200 W. Expressway 83, McAllen. For more information call (956) 686-2471.

THURSDAY

A PHILOSOPHY STUDY GROUP meets at 7 p.m. every Thursday in the Speer Memorial Library, located at 12th and Kika de la Garza in Mission. For more information, send an e-mail to philo-sophia@sbcglobal.net.

SALSA LESSONS AND LIVE MUSIC at 8 p.m., Thursday at the Red Moon Saloon, 200 W. Expressway 83, McAllen. For more information call (956) 686-2471.

KNIT NITE Join us for knitting, crocheting and great conversion. The club meets at 7 p.m. Thursday nights at Hastings Book Store, 4500 N. 10th St., Suite 400. Meet in the Hardback Cafe. Open to all interested persons.

ORALE! CHARLIE ACTORS WORKSHOP Orale! Charlie Productions invites anyone interested to our actors’ workshop at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday. We work on improv comedy sketches that will be aired on Orale! Charlie, our variety show. For more information, visit 3237 N. 38th. St., McAllen, or call (956) 213-8034.

SALSA CLASSES for adults are now being offered every Thursday from 8-9 p.m., at the new Deborah Case Dance Academy located at 5240 N. 10th in McAllen on. The first class is free of charge. For more information, call (956) 682-2721.

FROM EUROPE TO McALLEN paintings by Rod McGehee on display Thursday through Saturday, March 31 at TLC Gallery, 906 E. Bus. 83, McAllen. Reception with the artist 5-9 p.m. Thursday. McGehee will be painting live in the gallery from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, March 30. For more information, call (956) 682-1112 or visit www.tonilivingstoncollection.com.

A CONCERT BY THE VALLEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA is at 8 p.m. Thursday at the McAllen Civic Center Auditorium. Included on the program are Dvorak’s Scherzo capriccioso and Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F Major featuring acclaimed Russian pianist Elena Baksht. The concert concludes with Respighi’s majestic The Pines of Rome. The concert is underwritten by the International Bank of Commerce and the City of McAllen. Reserved tickets are $25-$50 and are available at the McAllen Civic Center Box Office. Call (956) 393-2293 or visit www.valleyorchestra.org for more information.

APRIL

WILD AND THE FILIPINO STUDENTS ASSOCIATION presents Alyas Batman en Robin (1993) at 7 p.m. Fri., April 13 at the South Texas College Auditorium, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., McAllen. A satire from the Philippines with Filipino funnymen Joey de Leon and Rene Requiestas and Panchito that is 30 percent in English and 70 percent Tagalog. No subtitles, but many friendly translators will be on hand. For more information, contact Tom Fuschetto at 872-3487 or via e-mail at tomf@southtexascollege.edu.

THE PASSION FOR CHRIST, SAUL’S TRANSFORMATION by David Cid presented by Eye Scope World Entertainment. This play is set in the first century A.D. when believers in Jesus Christ struggled to maintain their faith as non-believers eagerly sought their demise. Join Saul who is converted to Paul as he proclaims his newfound faith, performs miracles, survives persecutions and delivers a different message to the people in Rome. The Passion for Christ received rave reviews in Houston and at Prairie View A&M University. Shows start at 7 p.m. April 13, 14 and 15 at Cine El Rey, 311 S. 17th St., McAllen, with matinee showings at 3 p.m. on the 14 and 15. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at Cine El Rey. General admission is $15, $10 for senior citizens and $5 for children under 13. Presale discounts for groups also available. For tickets or more information call (956) 534-4116 or Cine El Rey at (956) 971-9829.

THE McALLEN SCHOOL DISTRICT MARIACHIS are performing in the annual Noche de Gala concert from 7-9 p.m. on Sat., April 14, at the old McAllen Civic Center 1300 S. 10th St. The featured guest artist is Emilio Santos. Tickets are $10-$12.50 per person and may be purchased at McAllen Memorial High music dept. from 10:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. or at Rowe High music dept. from 8-10:30 a.m. and 4:30-7 p.m. Call 618-6012 for more information.

DEADLINE FOR WILD’S FILM CONTEST is April 17. WILD’s Film Contest. Rules: 1) Film may not be any longer than 15 minutes. There is no minimum length requirement. 2) Your film must have a plot. 3) Your film must include a title and credits. A committee will determine if your film can be shown in the contest. Bring or send your film to Tom Fuschetto at South Texas College, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., McAllen (J-3.1112). Films will be shown at the South Texas College auditorium on April 20. For more information, contact Tom Fuschetto at 872-3487 or via e-mail at tomf@southtexascollege.edu.

THE WILD KALEIDOSCOPIC POETRY READING, MUSIC FESTIVAL, AND ART SHOW is from 7-9:30 p.m. Thurs., April 19, at South Texas College, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., McAllen, Student Lounge, Building H. Featuring live music, open-mic poetry, stand-up comedy and performance art while the audience is surrounded by original art work. There is something here for all the senses: art for the eyes, poetry and music for the ears, incense for the nose, and bass rhythms for the unsettled nerves. Free admission. For more information, contact Tom Fuschetto at 872-3487 or via e-mail at tomf@southtexascollege.edu.

WILD’S FILM CONTEST is 7 p.m. Fri, April 20 at South Texas College Auditorium, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., McAllen. Free admission. See original films shown for the first time: dramas, comedies, tragedies, romances, satires, parodies, and experimental cinema. The winners will be decided 50 percent by a jury of film personalities and 50 percent from audience-participation ballots. For more information, contact Tom Fuschetto at 872-3487 or via e-mail at tomf@southtexascollege.edu.

SHOW & SHINE: PRIDE IN YOUR RIDE CAR SHOW 2007 Car lovers are invited to enter their cars, trucks and motorcycles at 2 p.m. Sat., April 21. The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley fund-raising event is a well-received family show that brings together cars, car lovers and a great cause at the Hidalgo County Courthouse parking lot, 100 N. Closner, Edinburg. Car show pre-registrations may be turned in at 2601 W. Zinnia, McAllen, or online at www.foodbankrgv.com. Registrations before March 30 are $20. After March 30, registration is $25. Entry to the car show is $2 for adults and free for children 12 and younger. For more information on food drives, please contact Nadia Ochoa, Food Bank RGV Resource Development Manager or Cameron Lacy at (956) 682-8101.

DANCE CONSERVATORY OF McALLEN presents Passionate Movements & Sleeping Beauty (Aurora’s Wedding) at 7:30 p.m. Sat., April 21, at the McAllen Civic Center, 1300 S. 10th St., McAllen. The first act, “Passionate Movements” includes dances from the genres of tango, salsa/merengue, flamenco and belly dance. This is followed by the third act of Sleeping Beauty entitled “Aurora’s Wedding.” This romantic ballet includes the well-known fairy tale characters Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Puss ‘n Boots and White Cat, Cinderella, the Bluebird of Happiness and Princess Florine, and the Three Fairies. The mixed bill provides something for every taste and is sure to appeal to audiences of all ages. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the Dance Conservatory of McAllen studios, 4320 N. Bicentennial. Call 682-7417 for more information.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL POETRY MONTH with the largest collection of Rio Grande Valley poets ever assembled during the first-ever Poetry Pachanga from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Sat., April 21 at the University of Texas-Pan American Library Auditorium. Visit www.elzarapepress.com/popa.html for details on featured readers or contact Daniel Garcia Ordaz at wegotwords@hotmail.com or (956) 358-7211. Free admission.

BOOGEYMAN FOLKLORE AND EL CUCUY OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY featuring a lecture with UTPA anthropology professor Lynn Vincentnathan from 2-4 p.m. Sun., April 22 at the Museum of South Texas History, 121 E. McIntyre, Edinburg. For more information, call 383-6911.

WILD PRESENTS THE LYNCHING OF JUAN GONZALEZ at 8 p.m. April 26, 27, 28 at South Texas College Auditorium, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., McAllen. Admission is $3. The Lynching of Juan Gonzalez is a play based on the research of local historian Michael De La Garza. Gonzalez was a suspect who remained at large in Nebraska for nine days while eluding 300 armed pursuers. This event is dramatized into an original play written and directed by Tom Fuschetto in collaboration with De La Garza. For more information, contact Fuschetto at 872-3487 or via e-mail at tomf@southtexascollege.edu.

JOURNEY TO SAN JACINTO featuring a talk, presentation, and book signing with author Melodie A. Cuate from 2-4 p.m. Sun., April 29 at the Museum of South Texas History, 121 E. McIntyre, Edinburg. For more information, call 383-6911.

MAY

WILD’S AWARDS CEREMONY is at 7 p.m. Fri., May 4 at South Texas College Auditorium, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., McAllen. The only films shown will be those that won awards as determined on April 20. Winners of WILD’s Short Story contest will also be awarded at this event. Free admission. For more information, contact Tom Fuschetto at 872-3487 or via e-mail at tomf@southtexascollege.edu.

STORY SWAP The RGV Storyteller Guild members swap stories and learn about the art of storytelling. We welcome active storytellers and those who just want to listen. The monthly meeting of the RGV Storyteller Guild is at 7:45 p.m. Mon., May 7 at Barnes & Noble, 4005 N. 10th St., McAllen. For more information call 464-2129.

THE HISTORY OF MEXICAN TENT CIRCUSES with Witte Museum curator Michaele Haynes, featuring a lecture, costumes, literature and artifacts from 2-4 p.m. Sun., May 20 at the Museum of South Texas History, 121 E. McIntyre, Edinburg. For more information, call 383-6911.

BALLET GALA 2007 SPRING RECITAL presented by Deborah Case Dance Academy at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 24 at the McAllen Civic Center, 1300 S. 10th St. The show will debut the dance academy’s pre-ballet students, as well as choreography on the latest in jazz, tap and hip hop. Reserved seats can be purchased at the new Deborah Case Dance Academy, located at 5240 N. 10th Street Suite No. 5, from 3:30-8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 am-2:30 pm. Saturday.