> History of BFdeS

The Ballet Folklórico de Stanford was formed in the early 1970's to present and promote Mexican culture to the Stanford campus. In 1972 the Dance Department of Stanford University began to offer a Mexican Folk Dance Exhibition class, providing a formal setting where the tradition of Mexican dance could be taught. Before that time such dance was kept alive on the Stanford campus through the efforts of individual students who taught themselves and each other. The group's first official performance was on the altar of Memorial Church.

Since then, the group has performed throughout the state and had the privilege of performing for Former Secretary of State Schultz and President Salinas de Gortari of Mexico during the University's centennial celebration.

Throughout it's history, the group has worked with many renowned instructors including: Susan Cashion, co-founder of Los Lupeños de San Jose and ANGF; Marco Romero, student of Emilio Pulido and Rafael Zamarripa; Ramon Morones from the University of Guadalajara; Manolo Vasquez-Robaina and Margarita Vilele-Creagh from Danza Nacional de Cuba; Ana Iris Bosch, of Amalia Hernandez's Ballet Folklorico de Mexico; Elena Robles, founder of Folklorico Nacional de Mexico and currently the Director of Cultural Affairs for the Mexican consulate in San Jose.

In the 1992-93 school year, the group reembarked on its journey as a student run organization, with the group members taking on all the tasks from advertising and booking performances to organizing its annual show, Concierto de la Primavera. Over a decade later, the group is still student run and managed.