The Webb County Heritage Foundation (WCHF), in collaboration with the Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ballet Folkórico, has been recognized with an award from the Dance Studies Association.
The “Dance in the Public Sphere” Award will be presented to the Heritage Foundation and the Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ballet Folklórico during the group’s annual conference on Oct. 13-16 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The award recognizes renewed and new forms of public access and activism widening the circulation of dance initiatives and resources. “We were stunned to hear the news of this award,” said Margarita Araiza, WCHF Executive Director. “It is such an honor to be recognized by this group of international experts in the field, and we are so grateful to Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia and her incredible dancers for the opportunity to work with them on this unique marriage of dance and local history.”
The award citation reads, “The committee was impressed with how this project illuminates the possibilities of collaboration among dancers and institutions, as Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia and her group Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ballet Folklórico worked with the Webb County Heritage Foundation to tell a story of the music, movements, and histories that bring people and families across Mexico and the US together. The “History and Folklore” series educates audiences about the history and diversity of Mexican dance and unifies communities by encouraging pride in their cultural heritage while, through the wonders of the internet, also introduces new audiences to dance forms in specific historical, cultural, and geographic contexts. DSA is thrilled to formally recognize both Webb County Heritage Foundation’s and Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ballet Folklórico’s collective accomplishments with this award.”
In the year 2020, during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Laredo, like most communities, shut down virtually all social and cultural activities. The Webb County Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to historic preservation, heritage education, and heritage tourism, struggled to provide online virtual entertainment to replace all of its normal public events. WCHF decided to join forces with the Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ballet Folklórico to create a product that would combine the colorful and vibrant traditional dances of this region’s background, with a tour of some of Laredo’s most iconic historic landmarks. The result was “History and Folklore,” a dance video series combining dancing, history, architecture, and heritage. The series went online to provide education and entertainment to local audiences and the global community in a COVID-safe format.
“I am very thrilled that we won this award. After the announcement, I was immediately flooded with well wishes from Dance scholars and practitioners from the United States and all over the world. It is an honor to receive this kind of recognition from my peers who tell me that they recognize this innovative approach to dance making and historic preservation,” said Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia.
Mendoza-Garcia founded her dance school and company in 2013 after earning her doctoral degree in Critical Dance Studies from the University of California at Riverside. She teaches children and adults traditional Mexican folklórico dances as well as dances that incorporate and are inspired by her scholarly research. The Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ballet Folklórico dancers perform at countless community events in Laredo and surrounding communities in an effort to continue the dance traditions of our ancestors.
At this conference in Vancouver, the first DSA gathering in Canada and postponed from 2020, presenters will explore dance and activism in localized and transcultural settings, and share strategies for productive change on the stage, street, screen and within the academy.
The Dance Studies Association advances innovative analyses of dance by promoting diverse approaches and a globally inclusive, respectful dialogue in the dance field and various related disciplines. It advances the field of dance studies through research, publication, performance, and outreach to audiences across the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
To view the “History and Folklore” video series, visit the Heritage Foundation’s Facebook page or website at www.webbheritage.org .
