Ballet Folklorico de Mexico-1963 program

Ballet Folklórico de México is a Mexican folkloric ensemble in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

. For six decades, it has presented dances in costumes reflecting the traditional

culture of Mexico Mexico's culture emerged from the culture of the Spanish Empire and the preexisting indigenous cultures of Mexico. Mexican culture is described as the 'child' of both western and Native American civilizations. Other minor influences include ...

. The ensemble has appeared under the name ''Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández.''

History

From the group's founding by

Amalia Hernández Amalia Hernández Navarro (September 19, 1917 – November 4, 2000) was a Mexican ballet choreographer and founder of the Ballet Folklórico de México. Hernández was born to the military officer and politician Lamberto Hernández and his wife ...

in 1952, the group grew from eight performers to a fifty-piece ensemble by the decade's end. In 1959, the group officially represented Mexico at the

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. In 1963 Guillermo Keys-Arenas was the Assistant to the Director of Ballet Folklórico de México, while in 1969 he was its Artistic Coordinator.

Performances

The music and dances reflect various regions of Mexico. Many of the ensemble's works reflect the traditions of indigenous

Mesoamerican Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...

culture. The number of performers in individual dance ranges from two to over thirty-five. Under Amalia Hernández, the group pioneered Mexican folk dance. It is practiced by many people in America as well as Mexico. The ensemble performs three times weekly at the

Palace of Fine Arts The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure located in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, originally built for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition to exhibit works of art. Completely rebuilt from 1964 to 197 ...

in Mexico City. Additionally, it has toured widely in the

and has appeared in over 80 other countries.

Recording

In 1963, the ensemble issued a 'Living Stereo'

LP record The LP (from long playing or long play) is an Analog recording, analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of revolutions per minute, rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use ...

, ''Ballet Folklórico de México,'' on

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

of Mexico. Songs on LP record include: Flor De Piña, El Sapo, and El Patito.Discogs entry, ' Ballet Folklorico De Mexico' https://www.discogs.com/Ballet-Folklorico-De-Mexico-Ballet-Folklorico-De-Mexico/master/193257

Similar ensembles

Ballet Folklórico Mexicano Ollimpaxqui, Ballet Folklórico Puro México (based in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

) and Grupo Folklórico Cotzal de Acuña in

Ciudad Acuña , also known simply as Acuña, (originally Garza Galán, later Villa Acuña) is a city located in the Mexican state of Coahuila, at and a mean height above sea level of . It stands on the Rio Grande (locally known as the Río Bravo), which mark ...

also present performances of traditional Mexican dances. Some alumni from Ballet Folklórico México are members of these ensembles.

References

External links