For more than six decades, Alegría Mexicana has celebrated Mexican history and culture through dance, carrying traditions “from Veracruz to Jalisco and beyond.”
This year marks the 62nd anniversary of Ballet Folklórico de Alvaro Muñoz, which will perform Saturday at the Paramount Theater in downtown Abilene.
“We are celebrating our 62nd anniversary,” said executive director and choreographer Alvaro Muñoz. “The group was established in 1963 by my aunt. And she had it for a few years. And then I got married. Of course, went to Mexico City. So the group was left under the direction of Christina Meunier, and then from there, I mean, since then, the group has, you know, has gone to several directors. I came back in 2019 to take over the group and that’s where we’re at.”
Muñoz said this year’s theme reflects the spirit of the art form. “The music from Mexico is always alegría, very happy, very fast-paced movement. And it shows the joys and the bright, colorful, how vibrant the culture in Mexico is,” he said.
The group draws dancers from across Texas. “As a matter of fact, I have three that take classes from me that travel from Dallas to Abilene,” Muñoz said. “We also branched out to Midland back in April of this year. And we have 20 dancers that are part of our group here locally in Abilene.”
For Muñoz, preserving dance traditions is personal. “I take great pride in our culture. And for me to show, which a lot of our young generation this year has really lost, especially our Hispanic children, they lose sight of where they come from. And I think it’s very important to teach my students the history of Mexico, you know, through the art of dance,” he said.
That dedication stems from family. “My grandparents came as immigrants to the United States, and for them, it was really important for them to teach us our culture,” Muñoz said. “And what better way to teach that than through the art of dance? Because that’s how I was taught, and that’s how I learned to appreciate our cultural background.”
Each year, the company works to refresh its performances. “We’ve got to keep some of the traditional dances, like the Mexican Hat Dance, which is considered the national dance of the country of Mexico,” Muñoz said. “But I decided to give it a fresh new look. I do my research. I see what the kids like, what captivates them. They like the high-energy dances.”
This year’s program introduces a new favorite. “I love Sinaloa Costa. That’s one of my favorite regions, which is actually something new that we are doing this year,” Muñoz said. “We brought in a teacher from Sinaloa in Mexico, and he taught us Sinaloa Costa. It’s a combination, kind of hard to explain, of Las Vegas showgirl, tropical jazz and Mexican folkloric. All of these together all at once.”
The performance will feature guest groups including Sacramento’s national champion folklórico company, the Abilene Ballet, and the Anastasia Florence Dance Company from Dallas. “Expect to see a lot of colorful dances, bright costumes, a lot of fast rhythm, footwork,” Muñoz said. “We also are going to pay homage to the Virgin Mary … that’s going to be our opening act.”
The festival also serves as an invitation for younger audiences. “When children from the audience see children doing this on stage, it does inspire them,” Muñoz said. “We used to get a lot of calls within that week, parents willing to put their kids in because they want to do what those kids, what my kids are doing on stage.”
Tickets are available online through the Paramount Theater website or at the door.
“We welcome everyone. It’s going to be a great and exciting show,” Muñoz said. “Expect to see a very high-energy show. I think people are going to love it. Every year, we get so many compliments and more and more audience members. They’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, we missed last year’s performance, but we’re not going to miss this one.’”