Claudia Tiffany Rodriguez, 21, showcases her passion for ballet folklorico, history, art and beauty with every performance.
Rodriguez, a theater major, began dancing ballet folklorico when she was 5 years old. Since then, she鈥檚 traveled from one dance company to another, city to city and from maestro to maestro, or teacher to teacher.
鈥淢y mission in life is share the art and beauty of folklore because a lot of people see folklore at Cinco de Mayo festivals or Dia de los Muertos, but in reality, folklore back in Mexico, you see it all over the place,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淚t literally means 鈥榙ances of the people.鈥欌��
Rodriguez has studied under , the daughter of one of Mexico鈥檚 world-renowned ballet folklorico choreographer . The TCU student鈥檚 interest extends beyond the stage, however.
鈥淲hen I share it with family or friends, they鈥檙e like, 鈥極h, I just thought you were dancing just to dance and I didn鈥檛 know there was an actual meaning to it.鈥� But it鈥檚 huge on meanings,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty cool because I鈥檓 learning on my own and I鈥檓 being actually advised by an actual dance instructor.鈥�
Rodriguez began her journey at age 5, dancing at , then at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church鈥檚 now-defunct ballet folklorico program from 7 to 10 years old. After her mom became pregnant, she took a two year hiatus.
She returned to the art form at 12 with dance company in Northside. Now, she is an independent dancer 鈥� something she takes great pride in.
鈥淵ou see your own personal growth because based on my experiences, I鈥檓 like, 鈥極K, if this didn鈥檛 work, how can I change that? Or how can I make it better for students as well?鈥欌�� Rodriguez said. 鈥淕rowing up I didn鈥檛 really know the history. I didn鈥檛 actually know the history when it comes to folklorico. Being on my own has helped me be more aware of myself.鈥�
The dependency on a team, she said, doesn鈥檛 appeal to her anymore. Now, she takes her time researching styles, regions and the vestuarios of each region independently. At TCU, she has taken fashion classes, sewing classes and music classes to be able to hone her craft.
鈥淲e also have to know how to teach music and musicality. When it comes to folklorico, there鈥檚 the costumes. So I鈥檓 taking an introduction to costume design class. I鈥檓 learning how to actually sew,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淚 want to learn every aspect. It鈥檚 because I鈥檓 a whole team in one.鈥�
Currently at TCU, the dance department does not offer any specialized courses on ballet folklorico, Rodriguez said, but she wants to change that. Rodriguez spends hours looking through a copy of , a book describing all the wardrobe and vestuario meanings, which was given to her by a teacher who received a copy from the authors themselves.
She plans to study for a master鈥檚 degree in ballet folklorico and earn a license to teach from Guerrero, Mexico, at the 鈥� she travels to Mexico for three weeks every summer and after four years, she will have earned her license.
The only university to offer ballet folklorico in Texas is the 鈥� it鈥檚 a 32-student organization. Rodriguez hopes to change that. First, by advocating for college courses in Fort Worth and then, by advocating for it to become a major.
鈥淚鈥檓 pursuing this as a career. This is not just a hobby to me,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淚 want to do this professionally and learn everything about it.鈥�
Rodriguez鈥檚 mother, Claudia Villareal, said she used to dance ballet folklorico in Monterrey, Mexico, when she was in primary school, but never thought it could be what it is today.
鈥淪he is doing what I didn鈥檛 do as a young woman,鈥� Villareal said in Spanish. 鈥淚 used to dance for small festivities, but through her I realized how much ballet folklorico has grown. You can go to university for it now. When she was young, there were very limited opportunities.鈥�
Villareal is proud of her daughter鈥檚 commitment to the art. It鈥檚 been a huge inspiration for her. She wants to make it a career, she said.
鈥淐laudia wants to learn her roots, and I sit here surprised because she has never even lived in Mexico but she carries that pride in her roots here in the United States,鈥� Villareal said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such an exciting thing.鈥�
Furthermore, Villareal emphasized how difficult the journey will be for her daughter to open doors to ballet folklorico in Fort Worth, but not impossible.
Rodriguez鈥檚 father Jose Rodriguez, a cabinet maker, tasked himself with aiding his daughter with everything. He takes her to gigs, pays for vestuarios and supports her in everything.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been very heavy to keep with it sometimes. Taking her to places to perform, paying for dresses and everything. She does it for the love of the art,鈥� Jose Rodriguez said in Spanish. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy, but I would do anything for my daughters.鈥�
At home, Rodriguez sleeps on a small futon 鈥� in her room, she has a small stage where she practices her dances, her parents said.
鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 want a bed. She wants a stage,鈥� Villareal said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a joy seeing her progress.鈥�
Villareal said that ultimately she wants her daughter to be happy and in a field that she鈥檚 passionate about and not a career she will be miserable in.
鈥淚 want her to make all her dreams come true. It has cost her a lot and thanks to God, every time we see her perform she is better and better,鈥� Jose Rodriguez said.
Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by or via . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .