Erwin Vale Lopez TALLER: DANZA DE LA PLUMA Originally from the Villa de Zaachila, Oaxaca, Maestro Erwin Vale Lopez has been a performer of the Danza de La Pluma since 1999 and as a Danza de La Pluma director for fifteen years. In 2009, he founded the Cosijoeza Danza de La Pluma project integrating community children, youth and adults residing in the Villa de Zaachila. His professional studies in Mexican Folk Dance took place at...
JARABE MIXTECO – Lorena Ximena Morales Sangines Originally from the city of Oaxaca, with a career spanning 18 years, Maestra Lorena Ximena Morales Sangines is a folk dance teacher and dancer. Trained at the CEDART “Miguel Cabrera” school, she is a member of the Mexican Dance Center and has participated in various congresses and in-person folk dance courses. She currently works at the “Heberto Castillo” Culture House in the municipality of San Jacinto...
Danzantes Unidos is deeply appreciative of the return of Festival Artist, Lalo Garcia for the creation of the 45th Anniversary festival logo. Born in La Cieneguita, a small rancho in the state of Michoacan, Mexico, and raised since the age of 13 in the San Fernando Valley, north of downtown Los Angeles, celebrated artist Lalo Garcia has spent 35 years immersed in the world of art. Garcia’s love for his native culture combined with...
Maestra Alicia Mendibles is a third generation Mexican-American born and raised in Southern California. She started dancing at the age of eight. It was in the sixth grade that she began to form dance groups at her schools. She studied Mexican Folklorico under the direction Lily Aguilar and Maria Quiroz. She has shared the stage with many performers including: Linda Ronstadt, Lalo Guerrero, Mariachi Cobre, and Mariachi Sol de Mexico. Maestra Alicia envisioned...
David “Texomazatl” Vargas, is a kind, yet demanding Elder within the Danza Azteca genre. David Vargas, also known as Texomazatl (Blue Deer) among traditional Aztec dance circles, founded the original Tezkatlipoka Aztec Dance in 1988 in San Jose, CA which is still active today. Texomazatl has led the group as its Executive/Artistic Director as a ceremonial dance group among traditional circles, as well as a community-based performing arts group. For the past 35...
Danzantes Unidos is delighted to welcome back the renowned Mexican Folklorico dancer and choreographer, Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernandez to DUF 2022. Maestra Basanta Hernandez was born in Mexico City, the daughter of Mexican choreographer, Amalia Hernandez, and Argentine writer, Joaquin Basanta Crece. She began her dance training at the age of five, studying classical ballet under Nellie Happee. At age thirteen, Ms. Basanta Hernandez joined the National Ballet of Mexico under the...
A native of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, Maestra Carmen Obdulia Espinoza Beltran demonstrated an early artistic aptitude for dance and initiated her studies as a member of the folklorico company, Grupo del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). To further amplify her studies, in 1972 she began her training in La Academia de la Danza Mexicana (at that time known as the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura) continuing her professional studies...
Yolanda Chacon Beniquez researched through intensive summer courses at the "Instituto de la Investigacion del Folklor y la Danza en Mexico, Artes y Ciencias" in Tijuana and received her Baile Folklorico Maestra status at "Escuela Superior de Danza Folklorica Mazochoquim" in Hermosillo, Sonora. Maestra Yolanda has been teaching since 1983, establishing her dance company, "La Fiesta Danzantes de San Diego" currently based within the Chula Vista Park and Recreation Centers. She has taught Folklorico curriculum courses at Palomar...
Francisco Salinas Morales nació en el Estado de Guerrero, Mexico. Licenciado en Educación Primaria y Licenciado en Danza Regional Mexicana. Graduado en el Instituto de la Danza Mexicana en Acapulco de Juárez en el 2002 y en la Normal Básica “Justo Sierra” en el 2003. Investigador, promotor y maestro de Danza Folklorica desde el año 1998, impartiendo clases en Escuelas Superior y Media Superior. Actualmente vive en Corona, California imparte clases en Academias,...
My name is Sara “Sarita” Garcia and I’ll be instructing the Folklorico Jr High (Jalisco, Sinaloa & Yucatán. I am very excited to be teaching at DUF for the 2nd time. I have been dancing folklorico for over 28 years and I have multiple years of other varies of dance styles like Polynesian, Salsa & bachata and Hip-Hop. My mother, Gloria Rodriguez, was my first director and she still helps me out...