Message from the Artistic Director

Floricanto is now entering its 46th year of existence. We understand that, through the years, we have become so much more than just a folk dance company. We are educators of our youth. We are a community resource. We are a bridge through which other communities have been able to interact with us. We are, in these days of quick turnovers and disappearing dance companies, a constant in the folklorico world. And we are, we hope, a window into the future of folklorico. A world that is as wide and full of opportunity as this country, where there will be university folkloric groups, community folklorico groups, regional folklorico touring groups, national folklorico touring groups and, yes, international touring groups whose provenance is the United States.

During the coming years we will continue to do what we have always done. Represent our community through our music and dance. However because it is time, we have broadened our horizons and we will not only represent where we came from; we will also feature our current moment in time.

One of my artistic endeavors took me to Veracruz a few years back where the syncopated rhythms of its music are in direct opposition to the very symmetrical sounds of traditional Mexican music. In Contrast, the fandango musician and dancer must be as one. It is not about steps or body isolations, it is about rhythms. The dancer learns to create his/her own percussive sound and become part of the music by establishing a dialogue with the musician(s). For me it was a dual pleasure. Not only did I learn to dominate these new rhythms, I also found the vehicle for my personal artistic voice.

The Chicano visual arts movement is now well established and is over 40 years old. The Chicano theater movement has also been well represented for at least that long. Over the last 20 years Chicano music has also developed strong proponents. We in folklorico have just begun to evolve in that direction. I am pleased to note that there are a handful of companies throughout the Southwest that have begun to evolve an aesthetic called Chicano Dance. And so it is this Chicana's goal to continue moving forward in that direction.

My desire to create movement that echoes my past and speaks to the present as it moves towards the future is now.

- De todo corazón

Gema Sandoval