FEB. 18, 2025
SCOTT & KAREN SMITH THEATRE
Founders BFM
Amalia Hernández Navarro (†) Norma López Hernández (†)
General Director: Salvador López López
Artistic Director: Viviana Basanta Hernández
Coming Soon at The Noorda Center
The arts possess the sublime power to inspire, engage, and transform. Just as a solitary note holds the ability to captivate, a single voice, gesture, or melody possesses the ineffable power to carry us away.
We invite you to embark upon a new journey with us this season at The Noorda Center—home to inspiring events and an exciting hub for the arts in Utah County. Our mission is to produce and present artistic excellence, which would not be possible without the generous support of our donors and sponsors. We thank them and express our deep gratitude to all patrons, supporters, and friends of The Noorda Center.
Thank you for journeying with us this season to experience the profound and transformative power of the arts!
Courtney R. Davis, J.D., M.A.
Dean, School of the Arts
Experience the vibrant tapestry of Mexican culture brought to life on stage at The Noorda Center as Ballet Folklórico de México graces our venue with their mesmerizing performance. This internationally renowned ensemble celebrates the rich heritage and diversity of Mexico's traditional dance forms through intricate choreography, colorful costumes, and live music. Join us for an evening of exhilarating movement and unforgettable rhythms, and be transported on a captivating journey across the heart and soul of Mexico's cultural landscape.
This program is supported in part by Creative West and the National Endowment for the Arts.
This dance takes place during religious celebrations. Although its roots are uncertain, we should consider the possibility that it is the result of miscegenation between the people of the center and northeast of Mexico and a large part of the border cities. There are many variants of this dance in different regions of the country but there are similarities as well, such as colorful costumes, flower crowns, ribbons, feathers, glass beads, mirrors, rattles, and the main accessories: the bow and arrow, fundamental weapons for the survival of the inhabitants of the arid and semi-arid zones of Mexico.
The cultural richness of the state of Guerrero is one of the most extensive in Mexico, internationally recognized for its delicate handicrafts and exquisite textile embroidery. A deeply rooted cultural expression in Guerrero people is dance, which accompanies celebrations, social complaints and represents the flora and fauna of the province.
This ballet is dedicated to the "soldaderas", also called Adelitas, women who had a decisive role in the Mexican Revolution, as they took their lives and few belongings to the war scenes. In quick contrast, the aristocrats are seen in a joyous celebration, when a group of rebels breaks into the party, prepared to fight and march towards their destiny: the Revolution.
One of the most deeply rooted traditions in Mexico is the Charrería, which arises from the equestrian and livestock activities around the country. Declared Intangible Heritage by UNESCO, Charrería is considered an art and discipline where men and women demonstrate their courage with great feats that took place in the old farms of Mexico.
Spanish culture has a strong influence on Jarocha dance and music, which is why there is percussive footwork in every choreography, a distinctive move of flamenco. This fusion can be appreciated during the celebration of the Virgen de la Candelaria, where the streets are filled with mojigangas, fandango dancers, jaraneros and beautiful women who wear the typical Veracruz costume.
This dance tells the story of a young man about to get married. On his way to church, he meets a woman who was getting water in a nearby river. He seduces her and then continues on his way to the wedding. Meanwhile, the bride accompanied by her friends dances a prenuptial dance. When the groom finally arrives, the couple and the guests are dancing when a disgruntled rival appears and challenges the young man to a machete fight. The festive atmosphere turns tragic when the groom kills the lover. But in the end, joy and love conquer death, and the party goes on.
The Deer Dance is an emblematic representation of the state of Sonora and is considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The Deer Dance is a ritual performed before the hunting expeditions and reproduces the movements of the prey with amazing fidelity.
The state of Jalisco is the land of the Charros, the Chinas, and the Mariachi, powerful symbols of Mexican identity. Pure Mexican culture is shown in the brilliant folklore of Jalisco, its music, its vigorous and refined dances, and in its dazzling and multicolored costumes.
Amalia Hernández was a dancer and choreographer, founder of the Ballet Folklórico de México in 1952. From a very young age, she began a long journey through Mexican culture that would lead her to rescue the traditional dances around Mexico.
She managed to project to the world the beauty of our country through movement, from pre-Columbian cultures and Spanish influences to the revolutionary times. With her first performances in 1952, she obtained public recognition as a cultural representative of Mexico. Her great success established the Ballet in the Palace of Fine Arts as its permanent venue since October 11, 1959.
With more than 30 million spectators and countless recognitions, Amalia Hernández's artistic legacy remains valid thanks to the more than 120 original choreographies with great technical difficulty, elaborate typical costumes, and first-rate artists, consolidating the Ballet as the best dance company in the world in its genre.
Currently the Company is directed by Amalia's gradson, Salvador López López, and her youngest daughter, Viviana Basanta Hernández.
It is thanks to community members like you who make experiencing the wonder at Utah Valley University’s The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts possible.
The arts inspire us to engage with others, discover new ways of thinking, and provide us with hope - in short, we believe the arts transform you.
As a hub for the arts in Utah County, hundreds of performances are produced by talented students, faculty, and world-renowned visiting artists at UVU. We invite everyone to join in connecting through the arts.
As part of UVU’s EverGREEN comprehensive fundraising campaign, please consider making a gift to UVU’s Noorda Center for the Performing Artstoday.
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