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AUDITORIUM THEATRE 2018-19
| September 26 - November 16, 2018
ALL ABOUT
AMALIA
Ballet Folklórico de México
at the Auditorium Theatre
In November,
Ballet Folklórico
de México
de Amalia
Hernández
returns to the
Auditorium
Theatre’s
historic stage
.
Ballet Folklórico is considered
Mexico’s most prominent dance
company, and is recognized as
an ambassador of Mexico’s rich
cultural heritage to the world. Amalia
Hernández, the company's founder, is
a legend in the dance world, widely
considered to be responsible for
bringing Mexican folk dance to an
international audience.
Hernández was born on September
19, 1917 in Mexico City. Although her
parents wanted her to be a teacher,
Hernández was determined to focus
on dance. At the age of 8, Hernández
began studying classical ballet — her
father, a politician, even built a private
home studio for her and brought
in international dancers from the
Pavlova Dance Company and the
Paris Opera as instructors. She joined
Mexico’s National School of Dance
when she was 17.
Eventually, Hernández started to
feel that her classical training, which
focused on European dance styles,
was lacking in emotion and spirit.
She was drawn towards traditional
Mexican dance instead, and began
to learn about native dances from
different regions of the country.
In 1947, Hernández created the
Academy of Mexican Dance. At
the Academy, she taught classes,
choreographed new works, and
danced. Just a few years later, in
1952, Hernández formed her first
company. The eight-person troupe
was originally called Ballet Moderno
de México and performed original
works created by Hernández.
This company grew in size, and by
the late 1950s, the 50-member group
adopted the name Ballet Folklórico
de México and performed in Canada,
Cuba, the United States, and more.
In 1959, the company made its first
Chicago appearance at Soldier Field,
dancing in the Pan American Games’
opening ceremony. Ballet Folklórico
gained even more prominence in its
home country after it was featured
on weekly TV programs in Mexico
throughout the decade.
The company established a
permanent home for itself at the
Ballet Folklórico de
México in
Chiapas
(cont. on pg 14)