Ballet Folklorico Raíces Mexicana helps keep culture alive through dance

Inside the studio, the sound comes first.

Shoes strike the floor in rhythm. Skirts lift and turn. Children count steps under their breath while parents watch from the side, ready to fix a headpiece, adjust a dress or encourage a nervous dancer before the music starts again.

For the students of Ballet Folklorico Raíces Mexicanas, the movements are more than choreography. Each step carries a lesson in belonging. Each costume reflects a region. Each performance is a way for families to see their roots carried forward by a new generation.

For Maria Valdovinos, BFRM’s founder, that was always the point.

The group began in January 2006 with seven dancers practicing in her parents’ driveway. Twenty years later, the Stockton-born folklorico troupe has grown into a dance academy serving more than 200 students, with classes for children as young as 3 as well as teens and adults.

What started with one woman’s dream to make traditional Mexican dance more accessible has become a multigenerational community rooted in culture, movement and family.

“I honestly never knew my group would grow this big,” Valdovinos said. “Or (I’d) even own my own dance studio.”

Ballet Folklorico Raíces Mexicanas — Roots of Mexico — was created to teach Mexican heritage through dance, according to Valdovinos. The program has a Stockton location at MarVals Studios on east Fremont Street and also offers classes in Tracy through the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts.

But before there were hundreds of students, performance groups and studio space, there was simply a driveway.

Valdovinos said there were other folklorico groups in Stockton when she started, but she wanted to build something that more families could afford. Traditional costumes can cost $200 or more per outfit, she said, so fundraising and community support became part of the model.

“I was inspired to start a group that could be affordable so anyone could do it,” Valdovinos said.

After those first driveway practices, the group moved through several community spaces, including the Boys & Girls Club, Van Buskirk Community Center, the Teen Center and La Jamaica Hall. In 2017, Valdovinos was able to rent a whole building.

The group has expanded in a region where Mexican and Latino families are central to the community’s fabric. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 45.6% of Stockton’s population and 43% of San Joaquin County’s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Valdovinos said she wanted Stockton to have stronger access to cultural arts programs that reflect the families who live here.

“There are so many Mexican and Latino families in this area, yet many children were growing up without opportunities to learn about traditional dance, music, regional costumes and cultural history in an organized setting,” she said. “I wanted to help create a positive environment where culture could be celebrated, preserved and passed down to younger generations.”

That passing down is evident in the families who return week after week.

Cassandra Andrade said her 8-year-old daughter, Adelina Archuleta, has been dancing with BFRM since she was 5.

“She really enjoys dancing, and I feel like Miss Maria has really made a great community for all the girls to come together and really show their culture,” Andrade said.

Adelina has moved up to the performing level and has danced in more than 15 performances, her mother said. For Andrade, the program gives her daughter a place to connect with her Mexican heritage.

“She’s able to express herself in a different way, and also express her love for her culture,” Andrade said.

That sense of expression is also what has kept Terren Hinojosa’s daughter, 10-year-old Lenay Hinojosa, in the program for five years.

Hinojosa said she first brought Lenay to BFRM to help her connect with culture, learn to dance, stay active and try something new. Over time, she said, her daughter has learned not only the steps, but the history behind the dances.

“She has definitely learned a lot about her culture, a lot about just the history of dance and art,” Hinojosa said.

Lenay has never been to Mexico, her mother said, so folklorico has helped her understand the country’s regional differences, from the dresses to the music to the languages and traditions represented in the dances.

For many students, the dance program also becomes a social world. Hinojosa said BFRM brings together children from Tracy, Stockton and other parts of San Joaquin County, allowing her daughter to meet students outside her usual circles.

Lenay plays softball and soccer, but folklorico remains her priority.

“She is committed to dance,” Hinojosa said. “This comes first for her all the time.”

Summer is one of the dance school’s busiest seasons, Valdovinos said. Families often have more flexibility when school is out, and students look for something to keep them active.

This summer, BFRM will continue offering beginner through advanced classes. The group is also planning performances at the State Fair in Sacramento, community and private events, an in-house recital and its first competition at Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California.

The performance schedule can be demanding. Hinojosa said her daughter’s group recently performed in Columbia, California, took part in several Cinco de Mayo events and has performed at Disneyland in the past.

For her daughter, performing is one of the best parts of Ballet Folklorico Raíces Mexicanas.

“There’s a lot of different places they get to travel to,” Hinojosa said. “Just a lot of good opportunities for her.”

BFRM offers beginner, intermediate and performing-level classes. Students do not need prior experience to enroll.

But the lessons go beyond footwork.

Through folklorico, Valdovinos hopes students learn discipline, responsibility, teamwork, confidence and pride in who they are. Many build lifelong friendships through the program. Some former students have returned years later, not only to dance again, but to enroll their own children.

“Folklorico creates a connection between generations,” Valdovinos said. “Many of our dances reflect stories, traditions and regional customs from different parts of Mexico.”

For parents, that connection and inclusivity is what separates BFRM from other activities.

“Everyone supports each other, whether that’s helping with dresses, helping with headpieces,” Andrade said. “I think it’s a really great way to also celebrate all of our culture and bring everyone together.”

Hinojosa said the group feels personal because of Valdovinos and her family. Lenay first started with Valdovinos’ sister, Vicky, before progressing to classes with Valdovinos.

“It’s more than just a dance studio,” Hinojosa said. “It’s like … family.”

Valdovinos began dancing when she was 10 or 11 years old. Now, she is a full-time folklorico teacher with Stockton Unified School District, teaching at Monroe and Marshall elementary schools. She is also an instructor with Danzantes Unidos, a major Mexican folk dance organization that hosts workshops and festivals for dancers.

Over the years, she has balanced teaching, building a nonprofit dance academy and running a personal dancewear business. She has also encouraged students to think beyond performances by becoming teaching assistants, helping others and even learning business skills, such as making and selling dance braids.

Two decades after founding BFRM, Valdovinos’ passion project is still going strong.

“The students are what keep me motivated,” she said. “Seeing their excitement, growth and love for folklorico makes all the hard work worth it.

“I want the roots of our ancestors to stay alive.”