Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago

Description

Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago, founded in 1982, consists of 14 to 50 dancers that showcase dance & costume from 32 states of Mexico that range from pre-Columbian indigenous rituals to the influences of Spanish, French, Caribbean, & Revolutionary cultures on present-day Mexican dance. Performances are fast-paced, non-stop with many lighting quick costume changes. Company's mission is to increase the public's awareness of this heritage that comprises over 300 dance styles. They have performed for President Reagan, Vice-President Bush, President Clinton, and Mexican President Fox. Also, with the late Juan Gabriel https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Juan+Gabriel+Con+Mariachi+Lat&&view=detail&mid=F4CAC444F68FA36DE655F4CAC444F68FA36DE655&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DJuan%2BGabriel%2BCon%2BMariachi%2BLat

Presentations contain 4 to 12, or more, suites. Each may have 1 to 5 or more dances & depict a state, region, or an era in Mexican history. Suites showcase several costumes to show regional variances. Popular suites are: Raiz Viva, Jalisco, Colima, Veracruz, Norte, Michoacan, Puebla, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo (Raw), Sinaloa, Guerrero, Nayarit, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Durango, Oaxaca, Huasteca, Chiapas, San Luis Potosi, & more. Dancers can be accompanied by musicians that play over 50 instruments needed for authenticity.

Work Sample

Suites reflect pre-Columbian indigenous, Spanish Colonialism, French Intervention, Porfiriato, other European cultures, Caribbean, SW United States, 1910 Mexican Revolution & the modern. Video shows indigenous rituals & some of the regional styles mentioned above. Clips are from performances at Chicago South Shore Cultural Center, Harris Theatre in Millennium Park, Museum of Science and Industry, Navy Pier Skyline Stage & Cicero Olympic Theater. Bands accompanying the dancers are two time GRAMMY® nominee Sones de Mexico Ensemble, www.sonesdemexico.com, Banda del Recuerdo de Tupataro, Mariachi Real Guadalajara and Cuerdas Clasicas www.cuerdasclasicaschicago.org . Video runs 11 minutes with 23 short clips & represents over 6 hrs of dancing
Suites are:
1 Raiz Viva (Living Roots) State of Mexico
2 Tarahumara ritual - State of Chihuahua.
3 & 4 Zandunga & La Pluma - State of Oaxaca
5. Quetzales ritual-State of Puebla
6 Matachines ritual - State of Michoacan
7 State of Puebla by children
8 State of Yucatan
9 Yucatan maypole dance by children
10.State of Veracruz
11 State of Sinaloa with Mojigangas (giant puppets)
12. State of Tamaulipas
13.State of Nuevo Leon by company 2 dancers
14. State of Chihuahua Calabaciado from Juarez
15. State of Jalisco : Jarabe Tapatio (Hat Dance) & other Jalisco dances
16. Sinaloa with Mojigangas (giant puppets)
17 &18 Waltz dances of French Intervention & Porfiriato.
19 & 20 Mexican Revolution
21 - 23 State of Zacatecas

The work sample relates to our entire body of work in that it is a history of Mexico through dance and music. The various dances are samples of Mexican historical eras. Dancers and the public learn of their heritage in an entertaining fashion.

History

(MFDC brief list) COMPREHENSIVE LIST AT http://www.mexican-folkloric-dance-chicago.net
1985 President Reagan's visit; Chicago Heights, IL
1987 Vice president Bush; Pan Am games
1987 Governor Thompson & Mayor Washington.
1987 Chicago Theater, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Irv Kupcinet
1988 TOURS MEXICO; rave reviews from Mexican media
2001 "CENTER STAGE ARTS ACROSS ILLINOIS" WTTW TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyZqBhoYPDo
2001 Mexican president Fox's Chicago visit.
2003 Opening of Joan W. & Irving B. Harris Theater
2003, 2004 Mariachis Vargas de Tecalitlán, Cobre, Los Camperos & Ana Barbara https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2slcka9ac4
2004 Opening of Millennium Park.
2004 "Faces" on Millennium Park Crown Fountain.
2005, 2006 WTTW CH-11 program Arts Across Illinois
2006 Smithsonian Folklife Festival; Washington D.C.
2007, 2008 PEPE AGUILAR; PREMIO LO NUESTRO AWARDS
2007, 2009 FESTIVAL OF WORLD CULTURES; DUN LAOGHAIRE, IRELAND
2009 JUAN GABRIEL; Las Vegas Latin GRAMMYS®
2015 WTTW TV documentary "Chicago's South Side Neighborhoods" http://interactive.wttw.com/southside/watch
2016 Stomping Grounds; Auditorium Theatre
2016, 17, 18, 19 Los Tigres del Norte & Mariachi Flor de Toloache at Ravinia Park
2016 Auditorium Theatre with Lila Downs & Mariachi Los Camperos
2017 Stomping Grounds; Studebaker Theater.
2018 Stomping Grounds; Pritzker Pavilion.
2018 Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan; Copernicus Center, Chicago.
2019 Stomping Grounds; Harris Theater
2020 Illinois Office of Tourism Website: Mexican Folklore Dance Company of Chicago
2021 University of Chicago Logan Center Virtual Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1azzONyFTocTHmnkJ9L6jS_C5ZrByc1xf/view

Artistic Vision

Artistic Vision is to be able to continually grow in repertoire and to train children, teens, and young adults so they can perform the new repertoire. It is a lifetime, never ending task because there are over 300 dance styles: all with various costuming. In the company's 40-year history it has accumulated costuming for about 40 dance styles. Most other groups only have a handful of repertoires. Even the world-famous Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, of the late Amalia Hernandez, has not come close to accumulating the entire dance cultures of Mexico.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

The programs are to entertain general audiences whether in theaters, banquet halls, private homes, and schools. The school programs are more educational in that they require a lecture component. This lecture component requires a knowledge of Mexican history as well as dance and music. The directors are well schooled in this regard such that many educators remark how much they learn from our lectures. This includes African and Muslim educators. One Muslim school principal commented that he never knew of the Muslim history that was discussed in the lecture.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

The art form is Mexican folkloric dance. It relates to the Mexican heritage in that it exposes the varied dance styles that many do not know of. This inspires community pride in its heritage; leaning how aesthetic their heritage is