Ballet Nepantla brings Mexican folk dance to life as part of the UTSA En Vivo series

OCTOBER 13, 2023 — The Recital Hall on UTSA’s Main Campus will become a portal to the mystical realm of the afterlife when Ballet Nepantla brings their show Mística to campus at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17. Offering a unique experience that honors Mexican cultural roots and provides a fresh take on Hispanic tradition, Mística is part of the UTSA School of Music and UTSA Arts’ En Vivo guest artist series.

A professional ballet company from New York City, Ballet Nepantla is a fusion of contemporary dance and ballet folklórico, a traditional Mexican folk dance. Their stage productions use original music, detailed costumes and visual effects to create immersive experiences. All elements of their shows also integrate various genres of African dance, due to its heavy influence on Mexican culture.

The show was initially conceived as a virtual production in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were experiencing new hardships caused by poor economic conditions, high death tolls and widespread fear worldwide. A community within a village called Chinatla in Puebla, Mexico was critically affected during this time, losing many people to the pandemic. Inspired by their plight, Mística was created to commemorate the lives lost and to keep everyone involved with Ballet Nepantla hopeful during a time of strife and tribulation.

““Expect the unexpected ... it’s like no other Día de Los Muertos show you’ve ever seen.”

Since the company’s founding in 2017 by professional dancers Andrea Guajardo and Martin Rodriguez, Ballet Nepantla’s shows have enjoyed universal acclaim for exploring artistic boundaries and exposing modern audiences to Hispanic traditions and ancestral history.

“The name ‘Nepantla’ is an Indigenous term from the Nahuatl dialect, and it roughly translates to in-between space, or an in-between-ness,” said Guajardo, referencing the space between cultural and historical borders that Ballet Nepantla explores in all its works.

Mística commemorates the traditions of Día de Los Muertos and uses the stage productions' unique elements to honor Mexico's Hispanic, African and Indigenous roots. The show’s performers wear colorful costumes that reflect Hispanic traditions and ancestral heritage, including depictions of skeletons and of Mexico’s Indigenous people. One of the show's most notable features is the use of blacklight to transport the audience into the afterlife.

“Expect the unexpected ... it’s like no other Día de Los Muertos show you’ve ever seen,” Guajardo said.

The UTSA School of Music was established in 2022 with a drive to become one of the top music schools in the nation. The school offers academic programs at the bachelor’s and master’s levels as well as master’s certificates in instrumental performance and music pedagogy. Graduates of the school are teaching in public schools and universities, attending prestigious graduate schools, conducting professional ensembles, performing in major orchestras, producing television programs and winning prestigious performance competitions.

The UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts created UTSA Arts last October as an organized unit dedicated to community arts education, public-facing performances and exhibitions, and arts-based research and partnerships to enhance the accessibility of the arts for the general public. The unit complements the academic programs housed in the School of Music and the School of Art.

Ballet Nepantla’s performance at UTSA arrives fresh off the heels of Hispanic Heritage Month, making the show an encore of the university’s celebration of the history, culture and contributions of Latinos and Chicanos in the United States. It also exemplifies En Vivo’s aim to bring diverse, high-caliber artists to San Antonio for free public performances and community arts enrichment. They will also be the first professional dance company to perform inside the UTSA Recital Hall.

“Coming back to Texas, I hope to inspire people, especially in their youth … having audiences of students see a company of New York City professional dancers, half of whom came from the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas and are now dancing on professional stages and touring the world,” Guajardo said.

— Rolando Ramon