Mexico’s national dance company returns to Ann Arbor for the first time in 15 years for a special Hill Auditorium performance with the cultural richness of Mexico present in each dance.

Founded in 1952 by dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández and now under the direction of her grandson, Ballet Folklórico de México got its start as a small company that produced dances based on Mexican folkloric traditions for a weekly television show and quickly expanded its size and repertoire as it needed to produce a new dance for every show. Hernández, who died in 2000, trained in ballet and modern dance, but she was drawn to the traditions of more than 60 regions in Mexico to make dances that celebrated the country’s indigenous legends and traditions dating back to the pre-Columbian era. The resulting explosion of colors and movement create a rich tapestry of Mexico’s cultural history, “an incomparable point to enter the richness of a fabulous culture.” (Los Angeles Times)