September 19
Born Today:
Amalia Hernandez
Dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández (1919-2000), was instrumental in the presentation and preservation of Mexican folklóric dance. Early in her career, she studied ballet with Nellie Campobello (1900-1986) at the National School of Dance in Mexico City, but Hernández was captivated by the breadth and variety of traditional Mexican folk dances and indigenous dances inspired by Mesoamerican cultures. She founded Ballet Folklórico de México in 1952 and an invitation to perform on TV two years later brought her company national recognition and support from the Department of Tourism. The company has represented Mexican folk dance in North America and on international tours and they still perform weekly at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.