Uno! Dos! Tres! Cuatro!

This Saturday, fifteen year-old Bricia Rivera will celebrate her Quinceañera, accompanied by her four “chambelanes,” Waylon Underwood, Brandon O’Neal, Carson O’Neal, and Kyle Tillett. The boys will join her at the church service, and escort her to the fiesta that follows. But their main duty is to dance the traditional vals (waltz) with the “quinceanera” – literally, “fifteen year-old girl.” The word does double duty as both the person and the party.

Bricia has been dreaming of her quinceanera since she was a little girl. She and her parents, Javier Rivera and Guille Moreno, have been planning the event since February. The boys have been learning to dance every Saturday for the past 5 weeks. They added extra practices in the final days to polish their Latin moves. Ocracoke resident Arturo Diaz choreographed the dances (the traditional vals and a surprise dance with the boys, and a solo dance for Bricia) using music that she chose, and leads the classes (in Spanish) each week.

“This has been a great learning experience,” said Brandon. “I did not know how to dance at all.” (Cue the ribbing from his friends, who insist he still doesn’t.)

Carson O’Neal is becoming an old hand at waltzing. He was a chambelane at Karen Perez’s quinceanera in August and willing to do it again. “I learned about a new culture,” he said, and then admitted, “At the church service you just stand there and watch and listen, but don’t understand anything. But the party is fun.”

“It’s a great ethnic experience,” said Waylon, who admits he had to be talked into the role of chambelane. “My mother convinced me to do it, and then I realized it would be a lot of fun.”

The boys will wear dress-up clothes that match Bricia’s formal gown. She’s planned a fiesta that combines traditional elements with a few ideas of her own, so that her quinceanera will be “way different” from other girls’ parties. 

I asked her how she chose which boys to be her chambelanes.

“I grew up with Carson and Kyle,” she said. “And I kind of wanted some strong guys because the quinceaneara gets carried.”

I invited myself to a rehearsal (that’s a perk of being a nosy reporter!) and watched the boys lift Bricia into the air and twirl her around. Even without the dress, she looked like a princess.

Arturo had them hard at work, uno, dos, tres, cuatro, uno, dos, tres, cuatro. He spoke in rapid-fire Spanish, demonstrating the right and wrong way to do each lift and turn. The boys watched and mimicked his moves, getting better and better, without understanding anything much but the counting. Arturo, who studied dance in Mexico, was impressive as a teacher. Waylon, Brandon, Kyle and Carson were also impressive students, finding a common language in music and movement. 

“They are smart boys,” said Bricia’s mother, Guille Moreno, with a big smile.

I can’t wait to see them dance on Saturday! Stay tuned for more about the Mexican Quinceanera traditions on Ocracoke.