The McAllen High Steppers Dance Team has been wowing crowds and entertaining the masses for more than 50 years and is still going strong with a barrage of synchronized high kicks, splits and eye-popping dance moves.
Fans often catch their performances at halftime of Bulldog football games but they also put on many other special performances throughout each school year.
Many students who go through the program develop a permanent connection to their Stepper “family.” One of the common denominators for the Steppers is its Director, Rachel Castillo-Ruiz, who has guided the program for 30 years now.
Her legacy inspired the theme for this year’s annual spring show: A Night in New York Featuring Thirty Years, One Legacy. Performed on May 9, this year’s show was different in that it featured several dozen McAllen High alumni who participated in the program in years past.
“Knowing that I have made an impact on so many students fills me with a deep sense of pride, gratitude and purpose,” Castillo-Ruiz said. “It is a feeling that goes beyond accomplishments or recognition.”
Nyla Flatau was part of Ms. Castillo-Ruiz’ first year in charge of the program in 1996-97. She is now a Wellness Coordinator for Hidalgo County.
“Ms. Castillo-Ruiz came in my senior year,” Flatau said. “It’s a family. You learn so much and you go through so much together. It’s a friendship for life. I’m so excited to be here.”
Castillo-Ruiz remembers those early days well.
“The first student I was introduced to (in 1996) was Nyla, the Captain,” Castillo-Ruiz said. “She had so much passion to dance and lead the team. I will be forever grateful for Nyla for being so welcoming and cooperative with the transition of a new teacher.”
It had been nearly 30 years since Flatau, as a student, performed on the stage in the school auditorium but she and fellow alumni went up and performed dance routines to songs like All That Jazz and Dancing Queen. The crowd loved it.
Castllio-Ruiz stepped out of her director’s shoes to put on her dancing shoes and participated in the show’s signature moments.
“It was an absolute honor to dance alongside my former students,” Castillo-Ruiz said. “This is definitely one of the big dance highlights of my life.”
The alumni routine, as well as the current Steppers’ Pom routine (which opened the show), were choreographed by another former student – Nate Rodriguez. A 2024 graduate, he is now studying business and law at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.
“I was a cheerleader for six years and then I auditioned for Steppers,” Rodriguez recalled. “I had never done dance before, so this was quite a transition for me. (The experience) taught me a lot about the person I wanted to be. I learned what it means to organize. What it means to be a leader. Leading with integrity. I’ve learned a lot of lessons in Steppers that I have taken into my adult life.”
Earlier this year, the Steppers performed the Pom routine Rodriguez designed at a national event in New York City.
Dariana Luna spent four years in a Steppers uniform and is now studying at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. She described the journey going through the program.
“It was a scintillating experience,” she said. “You’re really not sure how it’s going to work and how you’re going to get along. It ended up being awesome.”
Luna is a second-generation Stepper. Her mom, Lori Barerra, was one of Castillo-Ruiz’ officers in 1999. Both mom and daughter performed in the Legacy show.
Each year, the spring show includes a nod to future Steppers as kids from McAllen High’s feeder schools, Travis Middle School and Morris Middle School, perform their routines.
“I think the biggest thing I learned (as a Stepper) was leadership,” Katarina Moseley, a Steppers member from 2017-20, said. “I’m very grateful to have had her (Ms. Castillo-Ruiz) as a mentor. It’s really set me up for success.”
A recent college graduate who plans to go into physical therapy, Moseley has remained connected to the program by helping to choreograph halftime shows. She explained what young students entering the program can expect.
“Be ready to work hard,” she explained. “You don’t necessarily have to have the highest kick and the best splits, but a half the battle is your personality and your work ethic. So, if you apply yourself and you show up to practice with the best attitude, you’re kind of setting yourself up and the team for success.”
Castillo-Ruiz felt humbled that her former students carry class lessons with them into adulthood.
“Seeing students grow in confidence, overcome challenges and pursue their goals brings me joy that is difficult to put into words,” she said.
“Ms. Castillo has really dedicated a lot of her time and her career to teaching the art of dance to many generations of students, hundreds of Steppers over the past 30 years,” Rodriguez added. “She’s fantastic at what she does and she always puts her students first.”
PHOTOS
At top, Rachel Castillo-Ruiz, Director for the McAllen High Steppers Dance Team (2nd from left), performs at the annual spring show: A Night in New York Featuring Thirty Years, One Legacy. She and Steppers alumni performed in the program. Photos courtesy of Sixtum.