Ballet Nepantla is an award-winning, New York contemporary dance company that explores cultural in-between-ness through its unique fusion of contemporary dance and Mexican ballet folklórico. We have watched them grow from a tiny New York dance company to one that tours the United States and performs with big stars in Latin music. ¡Bravo! 🇲🇽
Ballet Nepantla in New York City
Ballet Nepantla is based in New York City, so it dances here a lot. It has a second home in South Texas.
Madison Square Garden
Ballet Nepantla dances for Los Tigres del Norte “Aquí Mando Yo Tour;” at Madison Square Garden in Chelsea, Manhattan; on Saturday, May 24, 2025 at 8pm. From $79. 🇲🇽
Ailey Citigroup Theater
Ballet Nepantla dances “Nacimiento,” a holiday show about the birth of the Mexican people from Indigenous and Spanish roots; at The Ailey Citigroup Theater in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan; on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 8pm. From $24. eventbrite.com 🇲🇽
26 Bridge
The Ballet Nepantla ¡Viva! Gala features an open bar, dinner, Nepantla performances and a live auction, Mexican cumbia band Los Lobos del Sur, and dancing to Cuban salsa band Chino Pons & Grupo Irek; at the super cool 26 Bridge event space in DUMBO, Brooklyn; on Friday, September 6, 2024 at 7pm. From $40. eventbrite.com 🇲🇽
Battery Dance Festival
Ballet Nepantla dances excerpts from “Nacimiento” a holiday production about the birth of the Mexican people from Indigenous and Spanish roots; “Matlachines” about Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and multiracial people; and “Chinito Koy Koy” a traditional dance of the Yucatan; at the Battery Dance Festival at Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City; with six more dance companies; on Friday, August 16, 2024 at 7pm. FREE. 🇲🇽
Gold Coast Dance Festival
Ballet Nepantla dances excerpts from “Mística,” “Nacimiento,” and “Valentina,” for the Gold Coast Dance Festival at Morgan Memorial Park in Glen Cove, Long Island; on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 6pm. Free. 🇲🇽
Ballet Nepantla “Nacimiento” is a Holiday Folkloric Ballet About The Birth of the Mexican People From Indigenous and Spanish Roots
AILEY CITIGROUP THEATER, Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan 🇲🇽 🎄
Battery Dance Festival Connects the World Through Dance
ROCKEFELLER PARK, Battery Park City, Manhattan 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇨🇦 🇨🇴 🇩🇴 🇫🇮 🇩🇪 🇮🇳 🇲🇽 🇳🇱 🇳🇬 🇷🇴 🇰🇷 🇹🇼 🇻🇪
Ballet Nepantla’s “Valentina” Contemporary Ballet Tells Stories of Strong Mexican Women at Symphony Space
SYMPHONY SPACE, Upper West Side, Manhattan 🇲🇽
Ballet Nepantla’s “Valentina” Tells Stories of Mexico’s Revolutionary Women
AILEY CITIGROUP THEATER, Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan 🇲🇽
Ballet Nepantla ‘Valentina’ Gala at 26 Bridge
DUMBO, BROOKLYN, Fri, Mar 22, 2019, Mexican contemporary ballet gala fundraiser ~ Support this young dance company who explores being “nepantla” (in-between) with grace and beauty
Ballet Nepantla “Sin Fronteras”
QUEENS THEATRE. Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens 🇲🇽
New York City Venues
- Ailey Citigroup Theater in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan
- Battery Dance Festival in Battery Park City, Manhattan.
- Madison Square Garden in Chelsea, Manhattan.
- New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan.
- Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens.
- Symphony Space in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Nepantla
Nepantla” is the Mixtec (Aztec) Nahuatl word for “in-between.”
It describes the Latin experience of being in-between two cultures, first Indigenous and Spanish, and now Mexican and American. It also describes the Company’s style which is in-between Mexican folklorico and contemporary ballet.
Ballet Nepantla
Mexican folklorico is usually presented by community dance companies, but Ballet Nepantla takes it to another level. It is the first professional contemporary dance company in the United States to present Mexican folkloric traditions as contemporary ballet.
What New York City Ballet’s George Balanchine did with the folkloric dances of his native Russia, Ballet Nepantla is doing with the folkloric dances of Mexico. The only similar company is Ballet Folklórico de México which is sponsored by the government of Mexico in Mexico City. We are blessed to have such talent in New York.
What New York City Ballet’s George Balanchine did with the folkloric dances of his native Russia, Ballet Nepantla is doing with the folkloric dances of Mexico.”
Keith Widyolar, Editor-in-Chief, New York Latin Culture Magazine
Founder and Artistic Director Andrea Guajardo (Momix) brings a woman’s perspective to the Company. Chicana feminists in the American Southwest call themselves “Nepantleras.” Like them, Guajardo is rewriting the archetype of the Mexican woman.
Her choreography recently won a Lotos Foundation Prize in the Arts and Sciences for artistic excellence in New York City. The company has also performed at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow dance festival.
Shows
- “Mística” is a Day of the Dead journey through our Indigenous, Afro, and Hispanic roots.
- “Nacimiento” (birth) is a contemporary ballet folklórico of the Méxica Solstice and Hispanic Christmas traditions that evolved into Mexico’s beloved holiday festivities. “Nacimiento” tells stories of La Malinche, the Indigenous Nahua interpreter who helped the Spaniard Cortés and birthed the first Latin; and Juan Diego the Mixtec whose Marian apparition became La Virgen de Guadalupe, patron saint of México and icon of our multicultural Latin identity.
More Information
Facebook @balletnepantla
Instagram @balletnepantlaofficial
YouTube
Support Ballet Nepantla (through umbrella company Edinburg Dance Theatre) paypal.com