Maestra Mayra Villalobos has danced ever since she joined her high school Folklorico group. She continued her love for Folklorico by taking Folklorico classes at Fresno City College. While in college, she was invited by Maestro Julio Bustos to join Teocalli Cultural Academy. She has been dancing 15 years with Teocalli. For the past six years, Maestra Villalobos teaches students in Kindergarten to 4th grade at Teocalli Academy. Her love for Folklorico...
Rosemarie Olais Pantoja is a Fresno native who first began to learn Folklorico through a City of Fresno Parks and Recreation class offered to the public. That class awakened a love for Folklorico that now manifests in her thirty-seven years practicing this cultural and traditional art. At the end of that first class, try-outs were held for a local performing children’s group, Marisela's Dancers & Marimba taught by Marisela Saavedra. Not only was it...
Maestro Rafael Valpuesta has served as the Artistic Director and Choreographer of Resurrección Mexican Folk since 1998. Maestro Valpuesta’s extensive dance training has allowed him to create a stylized and theatrical interpretation of Mexican folk dance. With over 30 years of dance experience and directing, experience dancing with renowned teachers and organizations, Valpuesta is dedicated to teaching the dances of Mexico to the youth of his community. Mr. Valpuesta began his dance...
Yolanda Chacon Beniquez researched through Summer-long intensive courses at the Instituto de la Investigacion del Folklor y la Danza in Mexico, Artes y Ciencias in Tijuana, Mexico, and at Mazochoquim in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. These intensive Summer-long courses were comprised of instructors teaching at institutions across Mexico. Maestra Beniquez has been teaching at Chula Vista Park and Recreation Centers since 1983. She has taught Folklorico curriculum courses at Palomar College, Eastlake and Olympian High Schools...
Eleazar Rodarte was born in the Mexican State of Nayarit where he graduated from a special arts school specializing in folkloric dance. His passion for dance began at the early age of 7 years old. He belonged to the group Danza Nayar for fifteen years. He also had the opportunity to direct the children’s group in La Casa de la Cultura de Tepic Nayarit in 1986. He is a current member of...
Zenón Barrón began his career as a dancer at the age of four in the group Matlachines. Since then, he has studied classical and folkloric dance in depth. Zenon is a researcher of Mexican and Latin American folklore, costume design and scenic design. He graduated from Instituto de Artes Escenicas in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and in 2009, he earned his certificate from the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. In 2012, he received...
Born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, Maestra Karina Estrella was influenced by the richness of the Mexican Culture and its Danzas Folkloricas. At age 5, she joined La Casa De La Cultura de Ensenada. Her family later immigrated to the San Fernando Valley in California, where she joined Ballet Folklorico Ollin. At age 18, she began to utilize her dance experience and skills to promote bailes folclóricos as a volunteer at various...
Jose Vences is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and director with decades of experience in Mexican folk dance. He began his dance training at sixteen while studying at the Universidad Autonoma de Morelos. In 1985, he relocated to Mexico City to begin training at the distinguished Instituto National de Bellas Artes. In 1986 he was accepted into the touring company of the world-renowned Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez. In 1990, Jose came...
Maria Romero was born and raised in the City of Santa Clarita, California. Her love for the performing arts began when she joined a local folklórico group, The Santa Clarita Community Center Ballet Folklórico. She later joined Grandeza Mexicana, a well-known Mexican Folklorico dance company in Los Angeles under the artistic direction of Jose Vences. Maria has performed with the company in many prestigious theaters and performing arts centers such as the Ford...
Irvind Garcia was born and raised in East Los Angeles, CA. He has been dancing Folklorico for ten years and has taught Folklorico to children for three. Irvind danced under the direction of Benjamin Hernandez, whom Irvind considers a mentor and a form of inspiration for the work he does. Being first-generation in the States, for Irvind, Folklorico became an integral part in keeping him connected to his roots; more personally, it...