Folklórico Contemporanio
Dr. Mendoza-Garcia began her own folkloric dance company in Laredo, Texas in 2013 after finishing her graduate studies. This company is unique in that she integrates her scholarly research with her dance choreography. In 2014 Dr. Mendoza-Garcia premiered “Unstoppable Women” where dancers dedicated their performances to the women of 1920s and 1930s Mexico City who danced the role of men. Then, in 2016 she debuted her work entitled “Chicano Power!” (Copyright) which brought to light the ways in which people of Mexican descent fought for social justice during this era. In 2017, she choreographed “El Coco-A Tribute to Dance Icon Sanjuanita Martinez-Hunter Ph.D” (Copyright). Here, she used folklórico dance movements to bring to life the life and legacy of this unforgettable Dance legend. In 2018 Mendoza-Garcia re-created a few dance choreographies of Alura Flores de Angeles “Godmother of Mexican Dance” (1905-2000) from notes as written by folklorist Ron Houston in the 1980s (Copyright). She used two methods for this reconstruction. For some dances she carefully read and re-read the notes and presented them as close to the notation as possible. For other dances, she read the notes and captured the essence or flavor of the dances putting her own touches to them. In both instances, Mendoza-Garcia located and utilized the same music that Flores de Angeles would have used in her lifetime. Her most recent work is inspired by the resilience of folkloristas during the COVID-19 quarantine. Dr. Mendoza-Garcia created a choreography in 2022 entitled “Dancing during Quarantine” (Copyright) which recognizes how folkloristas gained strength and hope through dance during the pandemic