Ballet Nepantla originated from a series of talks between founders Andrea Guajardo and Martín Rodríguez, two artists whose early professional identities emerged from distinct genres: Andrea from classical ballet and contemporary dance, and Martin from traditional Mexican Folklórico. They envisioned a new form of expression that fused the two modalities and an aesthetic that would speak to the historical, cultural, and social realities of a broader narrative of being Mexican, Mexican American, immigrant, and trans-cultural. They chose Nepantla, a Nahuatl term, as the company name. Nepantla means to be in a space of in-betweenness, a liminal space that inspires the company’s creativity.