SPRING 2010 - The University of Texas-Pan American

Academic Affairs40 Years of RMuch has changed since Joe R. Martinez (’79) performed with the BalletFolklórico UT-Pan American in the late 1970s, including the group’sname. However, the feelings that folkloric dance stirs in his heart havenot.“From the first time I walked into the dance classroom, I was hooked,”Martinez said. “It gave me such pride and joy to belong to the group and performfor people.”Seeing the group’s progression more than 30 years later rouses strong emotions inMartinez – now a real estate agent in Harlingen – about the pastime he enjoyed somuch in his youth.“The professionalism and performance expertise of the dancers today are justamazing. There really is no comparison in the advancement of skillfrom the late 1970s to today,” Martinez said.Martinez, who met his wife of 25 years in a dance classat the university, said the historical and cultural aspects offolkloric dance are what he finds most fascinating.“Folkloric dance is part of our culture,” he said. “I lovedbeing able to perform authentic dances from the differentregions because it made me feel connected to my roots andproud of my ancestry. These feelings of pride in history areevident in the performance of the dancers today.”Founded in 1970 by the late Dr. Amilda Thomas, aprofessor in the Department of Health and Physical Education, thethen Pan Am Dancers started as an extracurricular activity for a smallgroup of students. The present day Ballet Folklórico UT-PanAmerican is composed of 30 dancers, 12 musicians– Mariachi Mexico Lindo – and six studentproduction crew members.Los Arcos 6