Like two dueling peacocks showing off their colorful feathers, El Teatro Inlakech dancers Karina Vasquez, 10, and Christian Manzo, 12, took turns outdoing each other's steps as they stomped their feet and twirled to mariachi music.

It's a courtship dance that also is a battle of style and grace between a man and a woman that harkens back to the mountains of Vera Cruz, Mexico.

"It's amazing," Oxnard's Mexican Consul Fernando Gamboa Rosas said as he watched the young performers during the Mexican Independence Day celebration Tuesday at California State University, Channel Islands, in Camarillo.

"This is not common even in Mexico," Gamboa Rosas said, referring to the enthusiasm for Mexican culture of those who are far from their ancestry. "This is a new era with a deeper understanding of their roots."

Gamboa Rosas and the El Teatro Inlakech dancers joined more than 70 CSUCI students, staff and administrators to celebrate Mexican Independence Day in front of the campus' bell tower.

The event recalls the revolutionary act of the Rev. Miguel Hidalgo, a Catholic priest. Shortly before dawn on Sept. 16, 1810, Hidalgo rang the church bells in his small village of Dolores, calling on all the people -- Indians, mestizos and criollos -- to retaliate against Spain, which had exploited Mexicans for generations. The event, recorded in history and tradition as El Grito -- "The Cry" to take up arms for liberty -- has since evolved for many into a monthlong celebration.

With Inlakech artistic director Javier Gomez translating, Gamboa Rosas outlined the importance of Sept. 16 to the community.

"This is a time when we recognize liberation of Mexico as people fought for independence," Gamboa Rosas said, adding that the importance of the day is not only the struggle for liberty, but also the restoration of peace, justice and equality.

Business major Robert Ciauri, 24, was impressed with the celebration. The aroma of authentic Mexican food and live mariachi music drew the senior to the Bell Tower before he headed to his information technology class.

"It's great that the kids are playing the music and promoting their heritage," Ciauri said. "Most of Ventura County is made up of such diverse communities, and it's great to promote cultural awareness."

Other events planned on campus during Latino Heritage Month include a salsa cookoff and free salsa lessons Sept. 25, and a food potluck and music from Latin America on Oct.14.