Ballet Nepantla

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.
Artist Inquiry
Official promo video

Valentina

Ballet Nepantla presents “Valentina”: a collection of stories that speak to the strength and resilience of women during Revolutionary Mexico. By fusing contemporary ballet with traditional Mexican folklorico, “Valentina” tells stories of wealth and power, hope and despair, struggle and loss, and triumph.
TECHNICAL RIDER
Official promo video

Mística

“Mística” honors our ancestors by celebrating the creative and spiritual energies of our indigenous, Afro, and Hispanic roots. It commemorates traditions of Día De Muertos and transports the audience into the afterlife through the use of blacklight and Ballet Nepantla’s unique fusion of ballet folklorico and contemporary dance.
TECHNICAL RIDER
Official promo video

Nacimiento

“Nacimiento” fuses the history of the birth of the mestizaje with the emergence of Christianity and Christmas in the New World. It explores pre-Hispanic rituals and the impact of colonization on the Americas. Nacimiento examines stories of La Malinche, Juan Diego and the Virgen de Guadalupe, and other historical characters whose stories are seminal to the identities of the New World. Act II of Nacimiento demonstrates the festive nature of how Mexican Christmas traditions are celebrated today in Mexico and in North America, through the Posadas: celebratory dances and retelling of the Nativity scene.


Concept by: Andrea Guajardo + Martín Rodríguez Vigíl
Choreography by: Andrea Guajardo, Martín Rodríguez Vigíl, and Argelia Arreola

TECHNICAL RIDER

Gallery