The Ballet Folklorico is theatrical work that combines the classic art of ballet with the legends and customs of a people, in order to pay homage to the past and create pride in the future. This is the Ballet Folklorico de Amalia Hernandez, this production took place in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.
In ancient Mexico, dances were performed during festivals and were meant to entertain the gods. Today’s ballets represent both the struggle and the daily joys of Mexicans over the centuries. Many groups, in both Mexico and the United States, continue to perform these dances as a way to honor their culture and heritage.
The Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández is renowned worldwide for its celebration of life in movement, music, and color. Its many dances encompass pre-Hispanic rituals, dramatic events from the past, and colorful depictions of Mexico’s diverse culture and folklore. Drawing from the rich and varied repertoire of Amalia Hernández, Latin America’s most important choreographer, the selection of dances for the company’s 50th anniversary season presents an array of brilliant theatricality and great passion.
The Ballet Folklórico de México that was created with eight dancers in 1952 by Amalia Hernández has today become one of the most important dance organizations in the world, with two professional companies and a school. During the past 50 years, the company has traveled to over 60 countries, received more than 200 awards and international recognitions, and been praised by critics and audiences on five continents.
Amalia Hernández, who died in November 2000, created a dance concept with this company that did not exist before—ballet folklórico. Before this, there was classical ballet and folk dance. Hernández understood that in bringing the folk traditions to the stage, there was the need to combine the spirit and the nature of the dance with some of the elements developed for the stage by classical ballet and modern and contemporary dance.
For 50 years, Hernández worked with such great musicians as Chavez and Revueltas; muralists and painters Covarrubias and Siqueiros; and choreographers and dancers Martha Graham, Alvin Nicolai, and Nureyev. However, her basic inspiration remained the rich and diverse popular culture of Mexico. Today, the Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández continues to grow and develop under the direction of her daughter, Norma Lopez Hernández, and her grandson, Salvador Lopez Lopez. The Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández has performed for 42 years at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City.
