Ballet Folklórico de México: A Celebration of Culture

The hours before my first ballet folklórico practice were full of nervous excitement. I got ready two hours early, hair and makeup done, because I wanted to make a good first impression. I set up my camera to record my first video, hoping to get all my nervous energy out through video. I feared many of the normal things before a new experience. I worried I would fail miserably. I worried that I would show up to the wrong room. I worried I would be the oldest in the class. Along with those common worries, I feared something else. I feared that my half-Mexican identity would exclude me from others. I was worried that I would have to do what I have had to do many times throughout my life, explain and defend my connection to Mexican culture. This journey, documented through weekly videos, dives into my year-long experience joining a ballet folklorico group, as I go through ups and downs and learn the importance of community to culture.