Ms. Noemy Hernandez was appointed Interim Artistic Director of Calpulli Mexican Dance Company in July 2011 after forming part of the artistic staff for three years as a choreographer and rehearsal director. She holds a B.F.A. in Dance with an emphasis in Choreography from the University of California, Irvine where she studied under Donald McKayle- a great inspiration in her dance career- and where she was research assistant in dance in Mexico. As a choreographer, Ms. Hernandez created works for Latin jazz artist Arturo O’Farrill and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. She plans to develop Calpulli as a premiere dance company with a focus on Mexican traditions and Mexican-American cultural expression.

Ms. Hernandez is a native of Southern California. There she began dance training at the age of 4, first in Mexican folkloric dance and then continued to study ballet, jazz, contemporary dance, musical theater, and flamenco. Just like Spanish was her first language, ballet folklorico was her first dance experience and holds a very special place in her repertoire.

She credits her passion for and career in dance to her mentor of many years, Jose Vences, formerly of the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, and to her parents who kept and supported dance in her life.

As a performer, Ms. Hernandez was a principal dancer with Pacifico Dance Company, Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet, and shared the stage with such greats as Viviana Basanta-Hernandez, daughter and prodigy of the legendary Amalia Hernandez. She also appeared in musicals such as West Side Story & Victor/Victoria, Nutcracker ballets, modern dance performances under Loretta Livingston, jazz performances, and toured the northeastern USA with Arte Flamenco Dance Company.

As a teaching artist, she served as a master instructor with YoungArts in 2011, and currently works as a teaching artist with the New York City Department of Education, sharing her knowledge and love of dance with children throughout NYC. Most recently, she brought the arts into special education District 75 and loved every second of it.

Above all, Ms. Hernandez hopes to continue spreading the universal language of dance, and with Calpulli, celebrating the traditions of Mexico as expressed in the United States.