Joyous celebrations that honor various dance forms and cultures is what makes up TWU’s Ballet Folklórico Company. After a remarkable inaugural year, the company has begun preparing for their upcoming second annual scholarship auditions on March 7.
The Ballet Folklórico Company, part of TWU’s International Dance Company (IDC), was created in 1978 when professor Gladys Keaton wanted to go beyond the curriculum and create a program that united cultures and communities through dance. Elisa De La Rosa, artistic director and assistant professor of dance, describes how IDC has evolved over time, explaining, “today, it’s now turned into a fusion of different dance forms.”
Currently, the Ballet Folklórico Company incorporates learning different cultural dance forms, along with Ballet Folklórico. De La Rosa explains that this is what makes the program unique, stating, “our idea is that every year, we build, we curate a different experience for our students, and for our programming, and for our audiences, that is not just heavily focused on Latinx forms, that the ideas of International Dance Company is living to its name, so that there’s a celebration of various cultures.” Looking towards the future of the program, De La Rosa states, “the idea is that we’re never just getting stagnant, that we’re always thinking about growing.”
When asked about her favorite part of the program, De La Rosa replied, “there’s something about finding a way to keep that pride, that cultural pride, and saying, yes, you belong. Your culture matters.”
Students in the program are required to attend rehearsal twice a week, and take one dance class each semester. Additionally, the program consists of a variety of different majors, and having a dance major or minor is not required to audition. Freshman Edith Rosas, who is majoring in political science and minoring in dance, states, “My favorite part of the program is definitely performing but I also love learning the new choreography.”
Auditions are now open for the 2026-2027 year. All students are welcome to audition and prior Folklórico experience is not mandatory. Auditions consist of filling out a registration form, providing a letter of recommendation, and sending in a two to three minute video of dancing ballet folklórico.
Additionally, an in-person audition is required and will take place on March 7. Those who make the company attend a one week dance workshop in the summer where they learn choreography with guest artists. Students who join the company will also be eligible to receive an annual scholarship.
To become involved, students can go to the Dance and Gymnastics Laboratory and scan the QR code on the informational flyer, view @TWUIDC on Instagram, or go to International Dance Company | Texas Woman’s University.
Zoey Ortiz can be contacted via email at aortiz53@twu.edu
Artwork by Aliyah Valdovinos
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