Ballet Nepantla
Valentina
Saturday, May 11, 7pm
Edinburg Municipal Auditorium
Free for all mothers
Tickets $10, under 10 years old free.
Ballet Nepantla presents Valentina: a collection of stories that speak to the strength and resilience of women during Revolutionary Mexico. By fusing classical and contemporary ballet with traditional Mexican folklórico, Valentina tells stories of struggles and triumph, and explores the spaces between love and hate, hope and despair.
ACT I – SCENE I
This scene sets the context of pre-revolutionary Mexico, when two Mexicos emerged: the rich and the poor. In this scene, expressions of the aristocracy are represented through elegant polkas and waltzes. While the wealthy enjoyed their lavish lives, the poor experienced unimaginable hardships.
ACT I – SCENE II
In a war camp in the region of Huasteca, women set the tone for the hardship that war brought on families and communities. They dread the departure of their loved ones and long for days of peace.
ACT II
As men trudge through the misery of war, they are forlorn for the love they left behind, and they visit her in their dreams. They long for their Valentina. Valentina represents the woman of every man’s dream; more importantly, she represents the strong, valiant woman throughout this Revolutionary era. Juana Gallo and La Chamuscada are transformed by the tragedies of war and emerge as fierce warriors and iconic leaders of the revolutionary movement: Juana Gallo having lost her husband and La Chamuscada, her father. In Hace Un Año, La Chamuscada remembers her father in a dream, and they poignantly share a dance.
Women filled a range of roles during la Revolución, which included cooking, cleaning, and providing for their husbands. But they also took up arms, fought alongside men, and even assumed leadership positions. Las Adelitas, Coronelas, and other pieces in Act II represent that range of intense engagement.
About Ballet Nepantla: Ballet Nepantla takes its identity from the artistic inspiration to explore the spaces in-between classical/contemporary ballet and traditional Mexican folklórico. The company delves into cultural, historical, and artistic spaces of tension, conflict, and ambiguity by bringing together contrasting artistic traditions. The Texas Observer described Ballet Nepantla’s fusion as “contemporary dancers who weave in and out of the folklórico dancers in an ethereal braid entwining new and old, seduction and pursuit, and life and death” (September 2017). New York Latin Culture Magazine said, “What New York City Ballet’s George Balanchine did with the folkloric dances of his native Russia, Ballet Nepantla is doing with the folkloric dances of Mexico” (February 2019). And The Monitor called Nepantla & ambassador for folklórico and Mexican culture (October 2019).
This dance company exists as a significant artistic, organizational, and historical marker. According to noted cultural anthropologist Olga Najera Ramírez, there has not yet been a sustained professional concert dance company in the United States that represents Mexican folklórico. Traditional folklórico companies tend to be non-professional and community based. After completing five years of operation and 24 tours across the country and abroad, Ballet Nepantla stands as testament to what is possible for artists in the Latino community who seek to forge new ground in the world of professional art.