Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
by Eric Bradley
Please see the link to 'BFM 5 Press Articles' for the entire newspaper article.
Students gasped as the curtains drew back. A towering headdresses of feathers - more than 12 feet high - loomed over them as members of the Madison dance troupe Ballet Folklorico Mexico recreated the ancient dance of Tonantzin, an Aztec celebration of Mother Earth.
- The Northwestern
by Diane Wilkins
Please see the link to 'BFM 5 Press Articles' for the entire newspaper article.
MARION - Buenes Tardes, Como esta? This was the greeting hundreds of Marion grade school students received Monday afternoon.
Washington Elementary School hosted Jefferson School at a special performance of Ballet Folklorico Mexico as part of the Marion Cultrural and Civic Center Young People's Arts Series.
- Marion Daily Repulican
Please see the link to 'BFM 5 Press Articles' for the entire newspaper article.
Ballet Folklorico Mexico has been entertaining audiences for more than 25 years. Founded in 1972 by Jesus and Carmen Avila (brother and sister), they were soon joined by a second and third generation of Avilas. An important part of the show is the lavish and colorful authentic traditional regalia. These costumes are symbolic and are adorned with beads, suede and colorful pheasant tails, some of which are six and a half feet in length. - Campus Activities Magazine
By Jay Corn
Please see the link to 'BFM 5 Press Articles' for the entire newspaper article.
A traveling band of dancers and musicians visited SCSU's Ritsche Auditorium Wednesday evening to share traditional Mexican music with the nearly 500 SCSU students and members of the community who turned out to witness the nationally praised brand of cultural entertainment.
- Diversions
By Andy Johnson
Please see the link to 'BFM 5 Press Articles' for the entire newspaper article.
Drums, colorful costumes, and history were all on display during a Mexican ballet performance highlighting Latin American culture and tradition.
Music and dance are universal languages, and that was clear during a presentation of Ballet Folklorico Mexico on Monday at Catholic Central High School.
- Burlington Bureau
Discography
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Bio
BALLET FOLKLORICO
About the Company
The Ballet was created to preserve Mexican folk dances and to provide others with the opportunity to appreciate diversity among cultures. The full name of this spectacular folk dance company is the Ballet Folklorico Mexico de Los Hemanos Avila. Carmen and Jesus Avila (sister and brother) who are still performing today founded the company in 1972. They were subsequently joined by a second and third generation of Avilas. Jesus Avila is the director and Armando Contreras is the choreographer, costume designer, and artistic director. The lavish and colorful authentic regalia are an integral part of the show and transition the energetic dancers from one scene to the next. The majestic costumes are symbolic of Mexican culture and are adorned with beads, suede, and colorful pheasant tails, some of which are six and a half feet in length.
The Ballet Folklorico Mexico has been recognized by U.S. and Mexican officials as one of the most exciting groups presenting the authentic regional dances of Mexico. The group has received proclamations and commendations from the State of Wisconsin, as well as from the Mexican Government Tourism Office. The dancers consider themselves multicultural ambassadors from around the world. Many of the dancers are college students coming from Mexico, Puerto Rico and from as far as Japan and China. The Madison Wisconsin based group has performed all over the world, including in Germany, Russia, and Mexico. The dancers rigorously practice four to five days a week to maintain the precision and integrity of their dances.
About the Performance
The program includes historic dances from Azteca, Michoacan, Guerrero, Sonora, Jalisco, and other regions of Mexico, as well as dances dedicated to the soldaderas, the courageous women who supported and even fought alongside the men during the Mexican revolution. Mexico is a land of many faces with mountains and beaches, deserts and tropical rainforests, uninhabited wilderness and one of the largest cities in the world. Food, music, dress, and dance vary from one region to another, even from village to village. The regional dances reflect the unique tradition of a great country where many groups were physically isolated form one another, yet shared a common language and spirit
A 900-year pilgrimage to find a symbol that would tell the people where to build their empire ended when a band of Aztecs discovered an island on which they saw an eagle devouring a serpent over a cactus. The island in Lake Texcoco was inhabited by Aztec men and women, where they celebrated life (with their gods) with magnificent rituals and ceremonies, in which music and dance were key elements. Elaborate feathered outfits were thought to provide a mystical communication with their gods.
Zapateados are dances enjoyed throughout the state of Guerrero. They reflect the rhythm of a people willing to express the joy of life with all their strength. In the state of Sonora, the Yagui Indians perform their elaborate Deer Dance before beginning the hunt.
Dance is very important to Mexico and the Mexican people. Children are taught to dance every year in school and the most talented are allowed to participate in the schools own Ballet Folklorico. There are many professional dance groups throughout Mexico whose performances represent a sampling of the different styles of Mexican dance. The Ballet Folkloricos goals are to awaken a sense of culture within the students own lives, to create interest and pride in their own cultural backgrounds, and to foster a sense of respect for other cultures.
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