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LAS CRUCES -- Susana Martinez won't be the only Las Crucen taking the stage as she takes the helm of state government.
When Jan. 1 rolls around and Martinez assumes the role as the first female governor of New Mexico and the first Latina governor in the nation, she will have some backup -- at least in the entertainment department.
Sharing the spotlight will be several local residents who will perform at the invitation-only governor's ball slated for 8 p.m. at the Sweeney Convention Center in Santa Fe.
Martinez was the 2009 winner of the Look Who's Dancing! contest, which benefited the New Mexico State University DanceSport Company.
In return -- and to help celebrate Martinez's victory -- several members of the DanceSport Company have been invited to perform at the ball. Featured performers will be Eric Fierro and Rachel Diehl, who recently became professional competitors and took top honors at the Dance Vision Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., in November. Several other company members -- including Katheryn Baca, Ariel Freilich, Derek Leyva, Jonathan Neiser, Leonard Thurman and Robert Zimmerman -- will reprise award-winning dances that they performed at the Dance Vision Classic.
Also performing at the inaugural ball will be Bob Burns and the Mike Caranda Orchestra, featuring singers Judy Day and Lauren Michaels. The popular Las Cruces group was formed in 1970 by the late Mike Caranda, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 92. The 12-piece, big-band-style orchestra
"We are thrilled that Susana is remembering her Las Cruces friends by asking us to perform and help celebrate her inauguration" said Fierro, who is also director of the NMSU DanceSport Company. "She honored us by performing in Look Who's Dancing! and we want to honor her by performing at the beginning of her first term as governor of New Mexico."
