Texas Border Business
By Amanda L. Alaniz
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – AUG. 28, 2019 – Sara Sanchez, a UTRGV legacy alumna and high school folklórico instructor, recently ran into some of her former students on their way to dance rehearsal with UTRGV’s Ballet Folklórico.
“The legacy continues,” said Sanchez, folklórico director at PSJA Southwest Early College High School and a Pharr native.
As luck would have it, she was on the way to her own dance rehearsal at UTRGV.
Sanchez, along with almost 40 ballet folklórico performers, are part of the newly formed UTRGV Ballet Folklórico Alumni company. All were part of the folklórico company during their college years at UTRGV and its legacy institutions, UT Pan American and UT Brownsville-TSC.
This year, the alumni company joins the internationally recognized UTRGV Ballet Folklórico to present “Leyendas,” a one-night show in which the cultural magic of the past and present will merge.
Miguel Peña, director of the UTRGV Ballet Folklórico and a dance lecturer at the university, said the alumni company first came together for a show to honor Francisco Muñoz, who was the longtime director of the ballet folklórico program.
The program was founded in 1970 at Pan American University (PAU) by the late Dr. Amilda Thomas, a professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education. The husband and wife team of Muñoz and Maria Oralia Muñoz, former administrative director, took over the program after Thomas retired in 1987.
Muñoz was set to retire in August, “and we wanted to give him a surprise by getting together several dancers throughout the years who have danced with him in the UTPA and PAU folklórico companies,” he said. “We got together 100 dancers, and they were willing to help with the concert.”
The surprise show brought together nearly 60 alumni performers and drew a crowd of about 800 people.
Now, the alumni company is ready to perform again, this time to help the UTRGV community.
“Leyendas” will benefit the Francisco Muñoz Endowed Ballet Folklórico Scholarship, which supports future Ballet Folklórico students, which is fitting, he said, as it was Muñoz’s former students who came together to establish the endowment in the first place.
Mission native Juan Lopez, a UTRGV alum and one of the coordinators of the alumni dance company, said Muñoz helped many of the dancers when they were trying to get scholarships.
“And now we’re doing our part to help the new students by putting this show together, to get them a scholarship, to help them go through the university with no struggles. That way, they can focus on school, so it’s really gratifying.
“And, we’re doing what we love to do,” he said. “Dance.”
Rio Grande City native Maria Leal, who also is a coordinator for the alumni company and is herself a returning dance major student, said she is excited about helping other students.
“We all are, because I remember when I was in school, I got some scholarships from the company and it helped me a lot,” she said.
PSJA teacher Sanchez said that, over a few generations, she has watched as generations of the folklórico dancers she has taught move on to dance with the university folklórico. Some are even current members. She understands the importance of having a scholarship accessible, she said, and believes the folklórico culture will continue through the students.
“I want this to continue forever. I want my students – who were in middle and high school – to become company members. And then for them to become alumni members, and be able to continue this legacy of leyendas (legends),” Sanchez said.
“Leyendas” is taking place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex on the Edinburg Campus.
To purchase tickets, visit utrgv.edu/leyendas.
For more information, call (956) 665-2230 or visit utrgv.edu/balletfolklorico.
