MESA, AZ — Ballet Folklórico Quetzalli started 18 years ago in Chandler. Since then, it's been teaching Mexican folklórico dances to people of all ages, from as young as 18 months to as old as 67 years, according to Vanessa Ramirez, the artistic director and founder.
Ramirez recalls starting at Snyder Recreation Center in Chandler, initially hesitant due to a busy schedule.
“I thought, there’s no way, you know. I'm a working mom, and all the other activities my daughter has going on, [and] my career,” said Ramirez to ABC15 in a sit-down interview.
Nonetheless, she agreed to run a four-week summer program, which quickly grew from five to more than 30 children and eventually expanded into two sessions. Over the years, she has worked with hundreds of students and seen the program's continued growth.
Eighteen years later, the dance group continues to bring vibrant colors to each performance while honoring the rich traditions behind them.
When asked what her students learn through this process, and what audiences in the Valley experience when they attend a performance, Ramirez replied, “For me, education is really important. So, you know, a lot of the obviously, the little ones, right? They want to, they want to wear the makeup, they want to wear the earrings and the skirts and twirl around. But for me, it was always important, and still is, that my dancers know what it is that they're dancing."
“Every dress has a story. Every dance has a story. We are telling the story of the people of México. So, I make sure that they understand what it is that they're doing. And then also to the audience. When we perform, I always give a little snippet to let the audience know what it is that they're seeing on stage, because after a while, it could just, you know, it all kind of blends in, right? All the colors, all the ribbons, all the music. But for me, it's very important that my students know, but also the audience knows what they're experiencing,” Ramirez added.
Throughout the years, Ballet Folklórico Quetzalli has performed with international artists that include Mariachi los Camperos, Mariachi Estrella de México de Guadalajara, Mariachi Sol de México, Mariachi Garibaldi, Aida Cuevas, and more.
“We've traveled to Colombia to perform. We've been invited to festivals in Querétaro, México. I myself performed in Indonesia, representing Ballet Folklórico Quetzalli. So it's just been a wonderful journey of exploring,” said Ramirez.
For Ramirez, dance is more than just an activity—it’s a life lesson. Through practice, it’s helped build unity and create a safe, inclusive space for everyone at Child Crisis Arizona -Center for Child & Family Wellness in Mesa.
“The most important thing for me, you know, is for the students to have a space to belong, where they belong, where they can explore themselves, have that freedom of self-expression through dance, build a community,” expressed Ramirez. “A lot of these students who are now advanced company dancers have grown up together. They've been dancing together since they were four or five years old, and now they're high school, college age. So building that sense of community is important, and whether it's through music, art, dance, I think especially nowadays, we need to find something right that that unites us and not separates us.”
Hispanic Heritage Month highlights diversity and culture annually, and for Vanessa Ramirez, it’s important to share her Mexican roots with the Valley every day through her folklórico dance group.
“It's important because if we aren't setting that example, where is our culture? You know, a lot of the pillars of folklórico are passing away, and if we don't learn it, and if we don't have that […] leadership and that initiative to teach others, then what happens to my culture? It goes away,” said Ramirez, who also shared that she finds creative, strategic ways to keep youth engaged with Mexican folkloric dances, such as involving students in managing social media or creating TikTok videos—despite jokingly calling herself the "viejita."
