Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklórico de Texas has been in Austin for 42 years and aims to promote the culture of Mexico through dance, costumes and traditions.
Jesus “Chuy” Chacon is the creative director of the dance company. He recalls the love and support his parents showed him growing up as he practiced his talents.
Courtesy of Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklórico de Texas
“I was in third grade and we were doing a dance called Los Machetes and the instructor said ‘okay, we need to have huaraches’ – you know, the sandals – ‘but you need to go to the market and buy them,’” Chacon said.
He went to his father to ask for the pesos to buy the huaraches, but his father had a different idea.
“He said ‘Oh you don’t have to pay for those. I’m gonna make them for you because that’s how I grew up – making those huaraches for myself,” Chacon said. “I was kind of embarrassed a little bit because my father didn’t wanna gimme the 15 pesos. So he made the huaraches in one day or two days and he made it with the old tires.”
With his handmade huaraches in tow, he went to class.
“I took them out and then the teacher says, ‘Oh my God, this is great. Those are the huaraches that we need. Can you ask your dad if he can make these for everyone?,’” Chacon said. “I was the proudest kid.”
“So when I went to tell my dad about it, he got so emotional,” he continued. “He was very excited. And, you know, you can tell, I was so proud that everybody in the group was actually wearing the huaraches that my dad made for everyone.”
This love and care passed through Chacon and shows in the latest performance “Festivales de Mexico: A Tribute to Jaime Guerrero.”
The performance focuses on bringing several regions from Mexico to the stage, he said.
“We’re bringing, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Nuevo León, Tabasco, Yucatán, and Campeche.”
Chacon says he met Jaime Guerrero, who was a famous artistic director in Mexico, when he approached Guerrero to work with Lozano’s company. The year their first collaboration was set to premiere, the founder, Roy Lozano, passed away not being able to see the completed performance.
“Jaime and I become very good friends,” Chacon says. “He’s like, y’ou know what, I’m going to be your mentor. I’m going to be here to help you to lead the company, to give you the tools and everything that you need to promote the company and escalate to the next level.’”
Every year Guerrero would work with the dance company, going over different regional dances from Mexico, choreographies or sometimes even helping with the costumes.
Guerrero suddenly passed away in December of 2023. For Chacon, it was a tough loss.
“Not only did I lose my best friend, but he also did a lot for the company,” Chacon said. “So that’s why we’re doing a tribute to him. By bringing all the regions, everything that he actually let us have, the legacy, the traditions, everything that has his heart in it.
“Festivales de Mexico: A Tribue to Jaime Guerrero“ is Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024 at 7:00 pm at the Long Center for Performing Arts in Austin.
