Enthralled by the music and movement learned in classes taught by Ms. Rosie Peña at Santa Ana College, a handful of her students more than 40 years ago, resolved to join forces in expanding their newly discovered appreciation of the folklore of Mexico.  Encouraged and guided by their enthusiastic instructor, their vision soon gained momentum with the recruitment of other equally-minded individuals. In 1975, this dream culminated in the formation of Relámpago del Cielo Grupo Folklórico with Ms. Rosie Peña as its founder.

The “Grupo”, not satisfied in simply learning the prescribed steps to the dances, felt the cultural inclination to learning the why and wherefore of this musical heritage. This need was met by the founding of Relámpago del Cielo, Inc. Through the advent of this cultural and artistic organization, an umbrella opened to accommodate the study of the history, geography and customs as well as the music of the varied regions of Mexico.  To date, the organization has not wavered from its original goal of preserving the Mexican tradition of dance and bears the privilege of being the oldest operating non-profit institution of its kind within the region and the largest in the United States. RDC takes pride in having been instrumental in the development of several dancers who have worked professionally both here and in other countries. Relámpago has also been instrumental in training various teachers who have now returned to their local communities to share their acquired knowledge and to occasionally form groups of their own. The “Grupo” is proud that some of its original members have returned to fill various positions within the organization and that there are some second and third generation dancers who are equally committed to foster the dream.