Amalia Hernández

Amalia Hernández Navarro (September 19, 1917 – November 5, 2000) was a Mexican ballet choreographer and founder of the world-renowned Ballet Folklórico de México.Hernández was born to the military officer and politician Lamberto Hernández and his wife Amalia Navarro.She was a pioneer in developing Baile Folklorico, and in 1952, Hernández founded the Mexican Folkloric Ballet with only 8 dancers. By 1959, the ensemble had grown to 60 performers. It was commissioned to represent Mexico at the Pan American Games in Chicago, Illinois, in 1959. Navarro created over 60 choreographies in her lifetime. Since 1960, Hernández's Ballet Folklórico de México has performed without interruption Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City. Additionally, she founded the Folkloric Ballet School in Mexico City. Her brother, architect Agustín Hernández Navarro, designed the building in 1968.