BYNC Ballet Folklorico 30th Anniversary Gala

About Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council's Ballet Folklórico
The BYNC Ballet Folklórico's humble origins began in 1994 as an idea between its first director, Marina Rey, and first dance instructor, Maria Elena Benitez. A dance troupe that would provide neighborhood youth a healthy activity and to participate in their Mexican cultural heritage free of charge. They started with a class of ten students and a shoestring budget that only allowed for costumes made of paper. Today, despite numerous challenges brought by the pandemic, the program has hundreds of students, and remains committed to the mission that led to its founding.

The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council’s Ballet Folklórico holds as its duty to engage families from the Back of the Yards community in the traditional art of Mexican Ballet Folklórico. Ballet Folklórico, provides a creative an active outlet for the youth of our neighborhood that serves as a healthy alternative to a variety of negative influences and activities. The Ballet promotes, preserves, and spreads this traditional Mexican art form to the families of the Back of the Yards community and to audiences far beyond. The BYNC Ballet Folklórico utilizes dance to teach discipline and healthy choices to our students, educate families and audiences about Mexican History and culture, and strengthen national identity of Mexican Americans. They have won multiple international awards for their dancing and plan to host more than 100 performances in the coming year.