Hoop dancers, artists to take part in fundraiser

Champion hoop dancers and artists from throughout the region will be featured this weekend at the second annual Lightning Boy Foundation fundraiser at La Fonda on the Plaza.

The foundation offers boys and girls instruction in a variety of dance forms, including hoop dancing and break dancing, and offers scholarships for Native youth to study performance and visual arts.

The event, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, will include an arts and crafts show and performances by the Lightning Boy Hoop Dancers and other promising New Mexico dancers. A benefit dinner is scheduled at 5 p.m. Saturday, with performances by champion dancers Nakotah LaRance, Tyrese Jensen, Kailayne Jensen and Lane Jensen.

A live auction featuring work from some of the area’s top artists also will be held.

In February, LaRance won the prestigious Heard Museum World Championship Hoop Dance Contest in Phoenix, his ninth consecutive title. He competed as part of the Lightning Boy Hoop Dance Group, which he teaches.

The foundation was created in honor of Valentino Tzigiwhaeno “Lightning Boy” Rivera, a talented Pojoaque Pueblo hoop dancer who died in May 2016 at age 8 from injuries he suffered in a car accident.

His mother, Felicia RosackerRivera, said in an email that her son wanted youth in Native communities to have the opportunities he experienced through traditional dance, culture and beliefs.

“His bravery and the guidance he left is remarkable,” she wrote.

Information about the foundation, the event and tickets can be found at www.lightningboyfoundation.com.