Meet Our Passionate Dancers
Get to know the soul of the company, incredible individuals who bring Ballet Folklorico Sol Azteca to life! Discover the passion, dedication, and unique backgrounds that make our dance group so special. These are the people who pour their heart and soul into every performance, sharing the love of folklorico with our community.
Joel Botello
I'm a proud Mexican folkloric dance artist, educator, and director. I began my journey in folkloric dance at the age of five, when a deep passion for this art form was born. Since then, dance has been my voice—allowing me to express emotion, identity, and cultural heritage through movement.
Originally from Guadalupe Victoria, Durango, my roots continue to shape my artistic vision. After immigrating to the United States, I was determined to continue my path in Mexican folkloric dance and to keep my culture alive through performance and education. This commitment led me to become part of Ballet Folclórico Sol Azteca, where I now proudly serve as director.
As a director and instructor, my mission is to teach children and young people this beautiful tradition—an art form that has taken me to meaningful places and connected me with incredible mentors who are true pillars of Mexican folkloric dance. With their guidance, I continue working to bring folkloric dance to as many communities and stages as possible.
One of my greatest rewards is being part of a dance family united by love, discipline, and tradition. I am especially grateful to my mother, whose support since childhood made this journey possible, and to every student who has trusted me to share this art with them.
Itzel Rodriguez
I have been a part of Ballet Folklórico Sol Azteca for nearly five years, beginning at age 14 as a freshman in high school and now continuing at 19 as a sophomore in college. Sol Azteca has become my second family—supporting my growth not only as a dancer, but as a person. Through this group, I’ve been given opportunities to travel, do what I love, and experience incredible moments at a young age. My favorite region is Chihuahua, as it is where my family is from and holds a special place in my heart, followed by Veracruz and San Luis. I am proud to be part of a group that uplifts one another while celebrating and preserving our culture.
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Lesley Montes-Reçica
I am 25 years old. I am a Marketing Specialist and have been a part of Ballet Folklórico Sol Azteca for the past three years. What I value most about Sol Azteca is the strong sense of community we’ve built and the opportunity I have each week to reconnect with my Mexican roots. Being able to share the beauty of our culture with others, and to come together as a team to tell a meaningful story through dance, is what truly makes me proud to be part of Sol Azteca.
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Melanie Mireles
I’ve been dancing for 7 years. Throughout the years, I’ve learned to be collaborative with others, because that is what ultimately shows up in performances. I love to do what I love with my friends and share what my culture is about with others.
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Galilea Acosta
I've been part of Sol Azteca for 6 years now.What I take most from the group is how much I've worked to achieve my goals as a dancer. I've also enjoyed learning new regions,new steps, and new faldeos all leading me into being a better dancer. What makes me proud of being a member of this group is being able to represent my culture and show off how proud I am to be a dancer.
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Nicole Rodriguez
I’m 14 years old. I’ve been part of Ballet Folklorico Sol Azteca for over 7 years now, and have been dancing for half of my life. I first started dancing when I was 7 years old, in Ballet Folklorico Sol Azteca Ninos. I have met so many amazing people and had amazing friendships. I’ve made so many memories and hope to continue making more. The most I take about the group is that learning never has a stopping point, or at least that's what I’ve felt. Being able to represent Mexico through performances and dances makes me feel proud of being part of this group.
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Valeria Rodriguez
Valeria Rodriguez - Born and raised in Atlanta, GA. Received my Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Tulsa, planning to pursue law school to specialize in immigration law. My parents are from the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Dance has always been there for me ever since I knew how to walk. I began taking learning classic ballet and jazz, after a few years I learned hip hop, and now it’s about 11 years that I’ve been dancing Ballet Folklorico. Ballet Folklorico is not only something that I love to just dance but I get to represent my most beautiful culture through the Hispanic community, and I'm proud of that.
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Montserrat Solorzano
I’m 24 years old and I was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Outside of ballet, I work at an immigration firm as a paralegal. My parents are both from Guadalajara, Jalisco, naturally making it my favorite region to dance. I danced for five years when I was younger, and as an adult I decided to rekindle the love I have for ballet folklorico. My favorite thing about Sol Azteca is that I have pockets of time twice a week to dance with my friends and grow stronger with each practice.
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Dalila Pompa
I’ve been in sol azteca for 9 years, what I most enjoy about being in the group is learning more dances and watching how our community slowly gets bigger I hope to continue improving for many more years.
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Mia Garcia Bernal
I've been part of Sol Azteca for 6 years now.What I take most from the group is how much I've worked to achieve my goals as a dancer. I've also enjoyed learning new regions,new steps, and new faldeos all leading me into being a better dancer. What makes me proud of being a member of this group is being able to represent my culture and show off how proud I am to be a dancer.
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Ready to experience the passion of Ballet Folklorico Sol Azteca?
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