Teaching Folklorico Dance as a Living Practice

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“Empecé a enseñar el jarabe tapatío a los extranjeros en 1932 y nunca lo he enseñado dos veces exactamente igual. Yo enseño parte del ‘Proceso Folclórico’ viviente, que como una mariposa, se transforma para hacerse más hermosa.”[I began teaching the Jarabe Tapatío to foreigners in 1932 and I have never taught it the same way twice.  My teachings reflect the living ‘folkloric process’, in which like a butterfly it is transformed to make it even more beautiful.] Alura Flores de Angeles “Godmother of Mexican Dance”

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Bodily Memories

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Bodily memories, teachings, feelings, movements passed on from one person to another. I have ingrained in my dancing body memories of my fabulous aunt, Sanjuanita Martinez-Hunter Ph.D., who was also my Dance Teacher.  Yes, I inherited her knick-knacks and collectibles but these are all just trivial pieces of material items in comparison to what I have truly inherited. I inherited her bodily knowledge. She was a dynamic personality who commanded attention upon entering every room. She connected on a personal level with every single student she taught. Most importantly, she imparted her Dance wisdom as taught from her own dance teachers to her students as a faculty at the University of Texas at Austin (UT).

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