| By the late 1980s and early 1990s the bailes had ceased being dances and become venues for organised gang warfare. |
| At certain bailes, groups of men began to divide themselves into two sides and face one another across the dancefloor. |
| It was a childhood of bodas, quinceaneras, carnes asadas, bailes, misa cada domingo, with frequent trips to the other side de la linea, to Mexicali, where my relatives lived. |
| For years, the underground bailes, or funk parties, ended in fistfights or shootouts between gangs. |
| Now, there are at least a dozen DJ crews with enormous speaker systems putting on more than 100 bailes every weekend. |
| They bankroll the bailes as a way of showing that they're investing in their communities. |
