Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Salazar.
Hi Anthony, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was introduced to traditional Folklorico dance when I was 7 years old. I had no knowledge of dancing Folklorico.
My mom enrolled me to take Folklorico dance classes as a child because it was her dream to see me perform and grow up to be a dancer wearing authentic Mexican outfits, especially with the famous Jalisco suit with the designed galas on my pants and a festive sombrero.
I am currently a professional Folklorico dancer with over 30 years of experience and I am a dance director for a Folklorico group known as Grupo Folklorico de Bendiciones.
Established and registered in 2015 in San Antonio, Texas that I created by performing at various charity events as a blessing with selected experienced trained dancers to share our talent as a group as entertainment throughout the community to keep the traditions, arts, and culture of Folklorico dance alive.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When our Folklorico dance group started, it began with just 2 dancers. It would be me and a dance partner. It was a struggle to get us to perform and showcase our talent at any city event since there are many other Folklorico dance schools and companies that were more tenured and locally known in our hometown.
We worked hard and would perform at church and family gatherings including small charity events with great causes. Influenced experienced Folklorico dancers would see us perform in the audience. I was always looking for experienced dancers to join our dance group throughout our journey and invited them to practice.
As we formed a group of 4 to 5 experienced dancers, I would do my best to promote us as much as possible through social media.
We soon got discovered by local television stations and had the opportunity to have live on-air interviews and performances that led our group to many successful invites to be part of large festivals, concerts, Quinceañeras, Birthdays, and Weddings all over the state of Texas.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an award-winning international professional dancer that specializes in traditional Folklorico dance for over 30 years. I am the Founder and Director of Grupo Folklorico de Bendiciones in San Antonio, TX, and have been awarded the best male dancer for the Viva Aztlan Festival in Lubbock, TX.
I’ve appeared on various local morning television shows with interviews and performances in our San Antonio community like KSAT-TV SA Live, FOX29 Daytime at Nine, KENS5-TV Great Day SA, WOAI-TV SA Living, Univisión-TV Primera Hora and Despierta San Antonio including Domingo Live! TV program in Corpus Christi, TX.
I’ve shared the stage as a Folklorico dancer with many recording artists/groups like Grammy award-winning Lila Downs, mariachi Cantante Sébastien de La Cruz, and the world-renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan.
I’ve traveled throughout Mexico to learn authentic traditional huasteca dances and had the opportunity to perform at the monumental casa de Emilio El “Indio” Fernandez, marched for Mexico City’s largest dia de Los Muertos parade, and visited Veracruz to perform at Xico’s Fiesta de La Magdalena.
I’ve had the great honor to perform and participate at events in Tokyo, Japan invited by the Sophia University.
These are my proudest accomplishments in my life and what sets me apart from others is having a strong dance group with passionate talented dancers that strive to perform with dedication and we work together to share the unique dances that originated from Mexico.
What do you think about happiness?
As, a dance director, I am the happiest to know how it feels for our dance members to be part of our experiences throughout our journey.
Below are quotes from our dance members: “I am more than happy to be part of Grupo Folklorico de Bendiciones because it represents my culture such that it provides an identity that becomes part of who I am within the Mexican Folklorico culture” – Kerany Barrera
“This group is truly a blessing!! I’ve gained so much experience performing for different crowds and my stage presence has greatly improved.
I have so much fun dancing all over Texas and getting to see a diversity of people throughout the whole experience. I am grateful to Anthony for believing in me as a dancer. Groupo Folklorico de Bendiciones has truly let me show my talent and has given me Bendiciones!” -Daisy Agueros
“What makes my heart happy is being able to express myself through dance. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to dance and be able to express both myself, and my culture through the movements of my body and the passion in my heart. I always have a dance to rely on, it’s a true outlet to set my soul free.” – Samantha Lafuente.
“Being a part of the group is truly a great opportunity to share my love for dance with the community. It’s a great chance to see people’s joy and appreciation which is rewarding in itself. I also love working with other talented dancers who share the same passion as I do.” – Jennifer Agostadero.
“Being a part of Grupo folklore de bendiciones in itself is a blessing. It has allowed me to share my cultural roots and given me the opportunity to have various new experiences. Seeing peoples’ joy and excitement makes me proud to continue dancing in this group.” – Tlali Engrav.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/grupofolkloricodebendiciones
- Facebook: Facebook.com/grupofolkloricodebendiciones
Image Credits
Julián P. Ledezma, Matt Bynum, and Waldinei Lafaiete
