Hernández, Amalia (1917–2000)
Hernández, Amalia (1917–2000)
Mexican dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández was born September 19, 1917. She was the founder and artistic director of the renowned Ballet Folklórico de México, one of the largest and most widely respected international folkloric ballet companies. Founded in 1952, the company presents theatricalized and recontextualized interpretations of Mexico's Hispanic and pre-Columbian ritual, folklore, history, and culture. During an illustrious career that spanned half a century, Hernández developed the original company of eight dancers into a 600-member organization, including a school, a resident company housed at the Mexico City Palace of Fine Arts, and a touring company. Her signature works include La Danza del Venado and Navidad en Jalisco. She died on November 4, 2000.
See alsoMusic: Popular Music and Dance.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aguirre Cristiani, Gabriela, and Felipe Segura Escalona. El Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández. Mexico City: Fomento Cultural Banamex, 1994.
Shay, Anthony. Choreographic Politics: State Folk Dance Companies, Representation, and Power. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2002.
Andrea Mantell-Seidel