Oscar Joel Ramirez Benavidez attended Hartnell College and received his associate degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in performing arts. After graduating from Hartnell College, Oscar became the Artistic Director for the folklórico group at Hartnell. He later became the Artistic Director of the group at California State University, Monterey Bay. Not only did he teach at the colleges but also worked as a guest teacher for the Monterey Arts Council and taught students K-12. After moving to San José to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at San José State University, Oscar joined Grupo Folklórico Luna y Sol de San José State. After a year with the university group, he went on to be a part of Los Lupeños de San José. Oscar moved back to Salinas after he graduated from San Jose State to become the director of the folklorico program at Alisal High School. Oscar maintains the folklorico program active with shows throughout the year in and outside the community.

Oscar involved himself with many teaching programs and folklórico associations to prepare himself for his students. Some of his current and past memberships are in organizations like Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos, Asociación Nacional de Maestros de Danza Popular Mexicana and Danzantes Unidos, the National Dance Education Organization, among others. Oscar has performed in cities in California, Nevada, and Texas. He has also taken master classes by teachers in Mexico. Oscar’s training in Mexican Folklórico allows him to properly teach his students about technique and safety in dance. His classes not only offer dance but also historical background about the regions his students will be learning.