Dancing at the Arizona Latino Arts Cultural Center

Folklorico Dance or Baile folklórico, literally “folkloric dance” in Spanish, is a collective term for traditional Latin American dances that emphasize local folk culture with ballet characteristics – pointed toes, exaggerated movements, highly choreographed arrangements. Baile folklórico owes its inception to Amalia Hernandez who started her dance company in the 1960s with a small group of dedicated dancers. Each region in Mexico, the Southwestern United States and Central American countries is known for a handful of locally characteristic dances. The costumes and the music attempt to reflect the living cultures of their regions. We will talk with ErLinda Torres, a folklorico choreographer and ASU professor who is one of the founding members of ALAC (Arizona Latino Arts Cultural Center) She is not affiliated with the Quetzalli dance group. Learn more at http://www.bfq-az.org/ 

Watch more episodes from “Art in the 48” here.