Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández

Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández performs at Northrop on Thursday, March 4, 2027, at 7:30 PM. It's a return to the Carlson Family Stage at the University of Minnesota, and the company is billing it as their first time on this particular stage in more than 50 years.

Founded in 1952 by the dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklórico de México is Mexico's national dance company. Hernández started out with the goal of rescuing more than 60 of the country's dancing traditions, fusing regional and Indigenous dances with ballet. The company is based at Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes, and it grew from eight original dancers to around 60 world-class dancers and musicians, with more than 120 original ballets and over 45 million spectators worldwide. It's the oldest celebrated dance company in Mexico and has performed in more than 60 countries. The 2027 season marks its 75th anniversary.

Critics call it the premier folkloric ensemble in Mexico and around the globe, and the work is rooted in Indigenous rituals, Spanish-colonial influences, and African traditions. The performance brings that folkloric dance to the stage along with live mariachi.

There are two ways to catch them: the main performance is Thursday, March 4, at 7:30 PM, and there's a free student matinee on Friday, March 5, at 10:30 AM. Both are at Northrop's Carlson Family Stage on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis.