Ballet Folklórico
Today the Ballet Folklórico consists of twenty-four dancers, ten musicians, two directors, a lighting director, sound engineer, house manager, a fourteen member production crew, and a secretary. The Ballet presents fifteen student and public concerts annually for approximately 15,000 student, valley and Winter Texan audiences. Over the years, the Ballet has performed for numerous professional guest artists including Vicente Fernandez, Veronica Castro, Mariachi Vargas, The Band Creed, etc. In addition, the Ballet has traveled to present programs for local, state and national private and public affairs, conventions and political dignitary functions. The Ballet has jointly produced ballets, concerts, zarzuelas, and musicals with the Valley Symphony Orchestra, the UTPA Theatre, and the UTPA Music Department. In 1989 the Ballet Folklórico, along with the Rio Grande Valley Symphony under the direction of Dr. Carl Seale, produced Toxcatl a Pre-Hispanic ballet based on the Aztecs celebration of the fifth month. In 1995, as the Ballet celebrated its 25th Anniversary, it ventured into the realm of live musical accompaniment. In 1996, the Ballet traveled to Ottawa, Canada to perform in their Dieciséis de Septiembre Festival. In 1999, the State of Texas House of Representatives honored the Ballet Folklórico with House Resolution N. 510. The Ballet traveled to Austin to receive the award and performed in the capital’s rotunda in celebration of the event. In 2000, in collaboration with the music department, the Ballet produced a Spanish Zarzuela entitled La Gran Via.