Members of the local 45-year-old dance company Esperanza del Valle treat the public to the annual La Rama parade in downtown Watsonville Dec. 19. Joined by members of Estrellas de Esperanza, the dancers brought traditional attire and dances to the streets around the weekly Farmers Market. La Rama stems from Vera Cruz, Mexico, where, from Dec. 16-24, the streets fill with a procession of song, light, and laughter. A key element is the celebration of simple things, a branch, a song, a smile and gathering together.
