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Artistic Director
Alejandro Góngora is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Corazón Folklorico DC, Inc. His mission is to create art with people and showcase Mexico’s rich cultural diversity and history through dance. Alejandro teaches and choreographs ballet folklórico as a means to create community con corazón in DC. Alejandro believes dance and culture should be equally accessible to all and is proud to offer free classes to the community. In each presentation, Alejandro leaves a little piece of Mexico for the audience to enjoy.
Mr. Góngora has performed for ambassadors, diplomats, dignitaries, and cultural attachés at events such as President Obama's Proclamation of National Hispanic Heritage Month (2016), the Embassy of Mexico's Independence Day Gala (2018), and AT&T Hispanic Heritage Month Awards (2019). Alejandro is a grant recipient of the DC Commission on Arts & Humanities Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) Project, Events, and Festivals (PEF) program (2019) and the Fellowship Program (AHFP) grant (2020 and 2021), which supports qualified individual artists and humanities practitioners who significantly contribute to the District of Columbia as a world-class cultural capital. AHFP recognizes the impact of individual artists and humanities practitioners within the District and supports the vitality that those individuals bring to the local community. Since establishing Corazón Folklórico in 2017, he has produced and sold out ballet folklórico shows every year with the company.
Alejandro’s creative instincts were first fueled by his upbringing in an Mexican immigrant working class home with musicians, actors, artists, and bakers as family members. His passion for dance and folk art started after his family moved to a suburb outside of San Diego, California where he joined a free folklórico club in High School. Folklórico classmates, parents, and educators quickly developed into a significat community in Alejandro's personal development.
Additionally, he has completed over 120 hours of mastery level folklórico training from Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernandez, daughter of legendary choreographer and founder of the Ballet Folklórico de México, Amalia Hernandez (2018-2020). Alejandro has also trained with folklórico experts from: Compañía de Danza Ticuan (Tijuana, Mexico, 2006), Instituto Mazatlán Bellas Artes (Sacramento, CA, 2007, 2009), Raíces de mi Tierra de UCSB (2008-2013), Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company (Los Angeles, CA, 2012), Ballet de Mexico (New York City, Chicago, Tulsa, 2018/2019). Alejandro received three years of ballet training at the University of California, Santa Barbara and one year at Isadora Centro Danza (Bologna, Italy 2010-2011). Alejandro has a Masters of Science in Public Policy & Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.A. in Sociology and Italian Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.