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The Texas Association for Hispanic Dance and Culture (TAHDC) was founded in July 2003 in answer to the educational and cultural needs of the Texas Hispanic community.
The specific purposes of this 501 c 3 corporation shall be to create a bridge between audiences, educators, artists, dancers, musicians, media, and other non-profit organizations for the preservation, dissemination and evolvement of Hispanic dance and culture in Texas.
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Founder's Message
In 1991, when I accepted the folklórico teaching position at Greiner Middle School the position had been vacant for five years because a folklórico teacher with a state teacher’s license could not be found.
Seventeen years later, as my retirement approached I spent a full year searching for my replacement. I searched for a bicultural certified teacher who would be able to teach folklórico, salsa, baile típico, as well as modern, ballet, jazz and hip hop. The position offered a beginning salary of $33,000 to $50,000 commensurate with experience plus health insurance, retirement, paid holidays, summers off among other benefits.
After one year, three certified Hispanic teachers applied for the position--one born in Guadalajara reared in Brownsville, a second from Del Rio, and a third from El Paso. Not one of them knew any folklórico or Latino dances like salsa, cumbia, rumba, or bachata.
The teacher that was hired did not know any Hispanic cultural dance, in a matter of weeks, the nationally recognized program built over ten years with 250 dancers and 250 students on a waiting list fell apart. Here was a high school in a neighborhood that was 90% Hispanic and Hispanic dance forms were not included.
It is time to consider the challenges facing folklórico and for us as a community of folklórico instructors to take action to create a better future for the next generation of folklórico teachers and for folklórico as a viable art form in the US
The Challenges
The majority of folklórico instruction in Texas and United States public schools from pre-kinder through college level is provided outside the Fine Arts Curriculum in extra-curricular activities. The extra-curricular status creates several conditions that are problematic.
1. Most elementary school programs are the direct initiative of the school principal. When the principal is transferred or promoted the programs cease to exist.
2. The extra-curricular instruction is usually provided by teacher or student volunteers. When the volunteers move the programs cease to exist.
3. There is no accountability for the quality of instruction provided by volunteers.
4. Nearly all folklórico maestros in Texas have lost their teaching positions in public schools due to the interpretation of the NCLB "highly qualified" requirement as holding a State Teacher Certificate.
5. Dance majors are not required to study folklórico in preparation for a teaching certificate. TWU and Sam Houston require one course in World Dance. Folklorico is rarely included because there are no teachers
6. Without mastery of the basic skills, few certified dance teachers direct folkloric dance groups or include Hispanic dance in the dance curriculum.
7. The majority of college folklórico programs are extra-curricular and they have no connection to the dance department.
I believe the US solution is to emulate what is done in Mexico. In Mexico folklórico maestros earn college certifications. Since there is no folklórico certification, our future teachers’ best opportunity would be to earn a four year college degree in dance.
Modern and ballet training for folklórico dancers is not new. Amalia Hernandez Ballet Folklórico de Mexico has included modern and ballet training since inception of the company in 1952. Silvia Lozano, founder and director of Ballet Folclórico Nacional de Mexico began her career as a modern dancer and she has continued to include it as part of her company’s training.
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum to the women and men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea."
Antoine De Saint-Exupery, The Wisdom of the Sands
The next generation of folklorico teachers can remain teaching without adequate pay, without insurance, without retirement, without paid vacations or we act now to create change or we can teach them to yearn for something more. Folklorico College Day USA attempts to connect folklórico dancers to the adventure of college through dance, culture, and friendship.
By connecting folklórico dancers to colleges we can impact their lives and pave the road for the inclusion of Hispanic dance in dance curriculums from kindergarten to university.
Join me in making Folklorico College Day USA a national success.
Sincerely,
Liz Gallego, M.A. Dance
TAHDC Founder
Folklorico Instructor
Mountain View College
Dallas, TX
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