[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16781]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 LAS VEGAS INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I rise today to recognize the Las Vegas 
International Folk Festival, which was held June 18 through 20.
  Hosted by the Mexico Vivo Dance Company, the Festival brought 
together artists from around the world to celebrate the artistic 
traditions of the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, 
and the Caribbean.
  All of the festival's performances were free to the public, providing 
the residents of Las Vegas with a wonderful opportunity to experience 
the world's diverse artistic and cultural heritages. Some 500 
performing artists and dance students participated in this 3-day event.
  I want to take a moment to recognize Ixela Gutierrez, the festival's 
founder and artistic director, who helped make this wonderful event 
possible. Among the leading artists in Nevada, Ms. Gutierrez has 
enjoyed a successful soloist dance career with The National Folkloric 
Ballet of Mexico, served as company director of Ballet Ollimpaxqui, and 
choreographed six seasons for the Las Vegas Civic Ballet. She also 
founded the Mexico Vivo Dance Company in Las Vegas in 1995 to preserve 
and share the rich artistic heritage of Mexican and Latin American folk 
dances.
  Ms. Gutierrez has been recognized by many organizations throughout 
her career, and she received a special Award of Distinction in Culture 
from the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Las Vegas. She also has enjoyed 
the honor of performing for President Bush at the White House's Cinco 
de Mayo celebration. She is now focusing her energy and talent on 
building a new Las Vegas tradition, by making the International Folk 
Festival an annual event.
  I also recognize the sponsors of this outstanding event: Fitzgerald's 
Hotel and Casino, Fremont Street Experience, Nevada Youth Alliance, and 
Mexican Patriotic Committee.
  The inaugural Las Vegas International Folk Festival was a great 
success, and I am sure everyone who attended is looking forward to next 
year's event.

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