ARTS: Step into TAMIU Ballet Folklorico
By Jack Reyes
Bridge Contributing Writer
Published Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026
Adding to the percussion of the music, the click of heels upon wood resound as the colorful skirts flow in the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. Texas A&M International University’s Ballet Folklorico dancers show that every movement has a history, a story of tradition, community and identity.
With nine years of leadership experience, adjunct faculty Nayeli Lopez directs the Ballet Folklorico program. She also said she aims to assist students in keeping the Mexican cultural traditions and to motivate them to act in various ways.
Ana Virginia Rodriguez, a graduate student in the A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business, performs a practice run of her solo dance performance in Ballet Folklorico Director Nayeli Lopez’s class on Feb. 5, 2026.
“Our goal is to keep traditions and roots alive within our students and community,” Lopez said. “We perform locally, across the country and even internationally; it’s a way to share our culture beyond Laredo.”
The performances, which have been a reflection of TAMIU in Switzerland, New York and Paris, have expanded in fame and aspirations. The group performs annually at events, such as Dia de Muertos, the Fall Dance Concert and 30th anniversary festival, which are expected to take place in 2026. As Lopez said, she hoped someday the program would become successful enough to offer as a dance major and a minor in folklorico.
Senior psychology major Elizabeth Rodriguez said the group enabled her to develop as a dancer and performer.
“It’s helped me push myself,” Rodriguez said. “Every performance, whether we’re dancing Sinaloa, Puebla or Maya, reminds me how powerful our culture is.”
Rodriguez said one of her most memorable moments was a performance of El Venado at a contest in McAllen.
“The energy backstage was incredible,” she recalled. “We wanted to make professor Lopez proud, but she always reminds us to enjoy the dance for ourselves and not just for the recognition.”
Senior art major and creative writing minor Valeria Samara Guajardo Serrano said this semester proved to be another kind of challenge. She sprained her ankle in the process of rehearsal and was forced to take a break in dancing but she has remained with the group and does the work of making posters and taking choreography notes.
“It’s been hard not performing, but everyone’s been so supportive. Professor Lopez made sure I still felt part of the team,” Guajardo Serrano said.
She said her recovery helped her find new significance in the discipline and hard work behind folklorico.
“I’ve learned to respect my body and the work that goes into every movement,” she said.
Lopez described her passion and the commitment of the students to be the greatest motivating factor.
“Every dancer carries a piece of their story in what they do,” Lopez said. “That’s what makes folklorico so alive. It’s a celebration of who we are and who we continue to become.”
