Ballet Nepantla

Literary theorist Gloria Anzaldúa, an Edinburg, Texas native, argued that Mexican American people exist in an "in-between space," or in a state of Nepantla, a concept she retrieved from the Nahuatl language, the tongue of the indigenous people of Central Mexico. The idea of Nepantla offers a framework through which I attempt to make sense of who I am, and to make sense of other Latino realities both in the United States and abroad.  I live in Nepantla, and through dance I want to share that reality with the world. WHO I AM:   I am Andrea Guajardo.  I was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. I grew up as a dancer and at 17 moved to New York City to study dance through Fordham University's partnership with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. I earned a BFA in dance in 2013 and began my professional dance career with Momix, a modern/illusionist dance company. With Momix I have had the privilege to travel the world, and at every turn I bring the lessons I've learned back to South Texas, specifically to the studio where I learned classical ballet, Mexican folklorico, and other dance forms. Through our local nonprofit organization, Edinburg Dance Theatre, I am creating a new venture called Ballet Nepantla, a dance company that will fuse traditional Mexican folklorico with contemporary ballet.  WHAT I'M RAISING MONEY FOR:   I'm raising money to help Ballet Nepantla further extend our repertoire and build a national tour. Costs include choreography expenses, stipends for dancers, costume acquisition, rehearsal rental space, performance venue fees, both dancer and musician flight expenses, and marketing and promotional material.  WHAT IS BALLET NEPANTLA? WHY BALLET NEPANTLA? Nepantla is an Aztec term referring to the “in-between-ness” of cultures, pertaining specifically to what the Aztecs experienced when being colonized by Spain. Ballet Nepantla will explore the in-between-ness of cultures within the realm of dance, harmonizing European influenced contemporary ballet with traditional Mexican folk dance. Nepantla's authentic choreography will respect and honor the indigenous wisdom of elders, their villages, and the artistic knowledge creators across Mexico. And it will fuse elements of contemporary ballet to make meaning of the cultural and historical narratives of those who live in "in-between" spaces.  The idea of Nepantla extends to a group that’s been one of the focal points of the American public eye in the past year, the Mexican American community, a group that holds a dubious distinction in the popular imagination. Having grown up along the U.S.-Mexico border, I see my community as a place of great warmth populated by hard-working people who are family oriented and celebrate cultural traditions. But my community is simultaneously reviled in the political discourse, as we are frequently seen as scapegoats for social or economic ills. The truth is that we contribute greatly to the economy, the culture, the body politic, and the arts. Ballet Nepantla tells stories to provoke the imagination of audiences and to help our society see the beauty of our community. Nepantla evokes stories about Mexican and Mexican American people, about family, about love, and about struggles and triumphs. Through a fusion of Mexican folklorico, contemporary dance, and classical ballet, Nepantla explores the "in-between" spaces of trans-historical cultures.  It will bring original and spectacular performances to American and global audiences to communicate the narrative of living in the middle of physical and metaphorical spaces.   HOW THE MONEY WILL BE USED: This money has been used exclusively to build Nepantla's inaugural show, to build its first tour, and to produce future shows. I plan to pay for choreography; I plan to pay dancers an hourly rate for their work; I plan to pay for costumes appropriate for the show; I plan to rent rehearsal space in NYC; I plan to build a website and create promotional materials.  WHY THIS MEANS SO MUCH TO ME: As a Mexican American of the South Texas border I have existed in an "in between" space my entire life - not American enough in some social circles, while in others not Mexican enough. I live a similar reality as a folklorico dancer in a modern/contemporary ballet world, and vice versa. There are traditional Mexican folklorico companies and there are contemporary ballet companies, but I feel there is a strong need for the embodiment of the meshing and the in-between-ness of the two realms. There does not need to be one or the other. Making sense of Nepantla through artistic expression means a great deal to me, because it is the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural frame through which I know myself. HOW THANKFUL I'LL BE: I am immensely thankful for the life I live. I come from hard working people. My father came from Mexico, my mother comes from an old Tejano working class family, and they have sacrificed immeasurably so that I could pursue my childhood dream of becoming a professional dancer. I am thankful that they have shown me the invaluable virtues of being Mexican American, just as they have shown me the greatness of being part of this country. I am thankful that I live the American dream, though I am equally thankful that I have lived the Mexican American dream. Though life in this country is rife with problems for Mexican Americans and other people of color, I am thankful that we can also achieve greatness, and realize our dreams. I am thankful for the opportunity to tell some of those stories through dance. And I will be immensely thankful to those who can invest in my dream, because as much as it is my dream, I believe it is also the dream of many who may not have had the access that I have been privileged to realize. The dancers dedicated to this effort are highly talented and extremely dedicacted to not only this project, but to the art of dance. They come from a range of backgrounds, trained in top dance programs, danced with prestigious dance companies, and bring a diversity that is rare in the dance world. Ballet Nepantla will be an authentic representation of modern America, as it explores our differences and our commonalities.