Ballet Folklórico UT Pan American
History
1970-2006
The Ballet Folklórico was founded in 1970 by Dr. Amilda Thomas, professor emeritus. She received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees from Texas State College for Women, and Doctor of Philosophy degree from Texas Woman’s University. Her professional experience spans a period of 48 years, 26 of them at UTPA. She was chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education from 1981-1986. Through her immeasurable efforts and committed direction, the folkloric dance program grew tremendously. The dance group first known as the “Pan Am Dancers” began as an extra curricular activity for a small number of students who were interested in performing the dance art of Mexico. As the group gained popularity they began to provide entertainment for a variety of affairs including local beauty pageants, barbeque fund raisers, and a National Dance Association conference in Seattle Washington in 1977. At that time a writer for a local newspaper wrote, “The fall-out from a chain reaction may be about anything, but at Pan American University the fall-out is a folk dance group that appears destined for future fame”. This unknown writer could not have read the future more accurately. In 1980, as the group celebrated its 10th anniversary, Mexican Folkloric Dance became a course offered in the Department of Health and Physical Education. In 1982, under Dr. Thomas’s direction, the Ballet Folklórico moved into a spacious new dance studio, which includes space for instruction, costume construction/storage, and audio/visual production. In 1987, upon her retirement, Dr. Thomas created and employed the first Artistic and Administrative Director positions of the Ballet Folklórico. Since Dr. Thomas’s retirement, Francisco Munoz and Maria Oralia Munoz, a husband and wife team, have served as Directors of the Ballet Folklórico.