This month, five Detroit arts groups are vying for the Knight Arts Challenge People’s Choice Award, a $20,000 prize the winner can use for a project of their choice. The award is one of the ways Knight aims to bring attention to small arts organizations and their impact on the city. Here, KnightArts.org has a quick word with Maria Luis Carrillo of nominee Ballet Folklorico Moyocoyani Izel, which wants to bring the traditional dances of Mexico’s La Huasteca region to Detroit. To vote for the dance troupe, text Detroit4 to 22333 and learn about the other nominees at knightarts.org/peopleschoice.

Q. What do you love most about your arts group? A. Performing and expressing through dance the rich culture and history of Mexico.

Q. What would you do with the $20,000 People’s Choice award? A. Our goal is to increase our dance knowledge and in turn amplify our dance program and continue to take it to all pockets of the community and beyond.  This would be attained by inviting professional dance instructors from Mexico to come to Detroit and collaborating with our extensive folklore network.

Q. Personal cultural highlight over the past year? A. Taking my children to Mexico for the first time to experience our heritage first hand among our family.

Q. Three words or phrases your fans would use to describe your work? A. Educational, memorable and entertaining

Q. What’s the best thing about Detroit’s arts  community? A. The second to none people!  

Q. When you were 12, what did you want to be when you grew up? A. All I’ve ever wanted to be was amazing!!! I’ve always wanted to make people smile.

Q. What was your proudest moment as an artist/organization? A. The honor of competing in Mexico among students who live and learn with professionals in the field. We have had students place second in finals, which felt like first to us.

Q. What’s a skill of yours that has nothing to do with your profession, but that you’re glad you have? A. I’m told I’m witty and that I succeed at bringing humor into even the most trying situations.

Q. What subject would you like to know more about? A. I am currently a Ph.D student in public health. I would like to learn more about culture and its effects on health. This I will accomplish through my studies in hopes to link both of my professions together.

Q. If you could choose any artist/group to collaborate with, anywhere in the world, who would it be? A. I’ve always admired the dance organization from La Universidad de Colima in Mexico. It would be a true honor to collaborate with such an elite school.