Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts Takes you on a marvelous tour of a many-splendored land - as dance, music, costume and song sweep you from tropical ports to rugged ranch towns, from lost civilizations to lakeside fiesta, with the legendary Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, for TWO performances, Friday March 5th and Saturday, March 6th at 8PM.
In 1952, Amalia Hernández, dancer and choreographer, founded the Ballet Folklórico of México, having embarked, at a very early age, on a never-ending quest to rescue the dancing traditions of Mexico. The vital search became a basic need to reflect not only in Mexico but the rest of the world, the beauty of the Universe in motion which started with the pre-Colombian civilizations and grew with the Hispanic influences of the Vice royal era up to the popular strength of the Revolutionary years. In 1954, Amalia started a series of presentations that credited her as the Cultural Representative of Mexico to the world at large.
"Passionate...impeccable...and unequaled point of entry to the riches of a fabulous culture!"
-Los Angeles Times
The present time fades before your eyes and thus commences our journey through the past. The Lords of Heaven and Earth come back to life, the Jaguars, the Gods born of human flesh, thirty different cultures that blossomed in centuries once, leaving behind a trail of color in which Amalia Hernández was inspired to create the Ballet Folklórico of México.
International success has been achieved during the first tours and has been maintained through the fifty years of incessant artistic endeavors. Starting from the sixties, Amalia Hernández and the Ballet Folklórico of México have developed the choreographies for 40 ballets, composed of 76 folk dancers. The music, technical perfection, sophisticated wardrobe and original choreographies, create this singular character of the Ballet. Amalia Hernández and the Ballet Folklórico of México have been distinguished with more than 200 awards in recognition to their artistic merits.
"...Amalia Hernández is an expert at putting together fast-paced entertaining shows that can make viewers want to rush right off to Mexico"
- New York Times
The Ballet was initiated by performing a weekly program on television, sponsored by the Mexican government. Since the year of 1959 it is being permanently presented at the Palace of Fine Arts, foremost stage for Art Mexico City. The institution has two main artistic companies called The First Company and the Resident Company: both alternate tours and performances in Mexico and abroad. They have already performed more than five thousand presentations. The music, dance and costume of Mexican folklore combined with the talent of their artists have achieved national and international success.
"It is something of a wonder when thousand-year-old faces carved in their country in stone seem to come alive on the stage."
- New York News Day- Dance Review
Tickets are $50 $40 and $30 ($3 Preservation Fee included) and available at Music Hall Box Office or ticketmaster.com.
