About us
A Mexican folk dance company in London
Founded in 2022, queer-led, and working with embassies, universities, festivals and charities to keep Mexican folklore alive in the UK and across Europe.
How we started
This is Mexico! began in 2022 with a group of Mexican friends living in the UK who wanted to reconnect with the regional folklore dances of their heritage — dances they had known and loved since childhood.
What started as a handful of people in a rehearsal room has grown into a cultural organisation working closely with diplomatic missions, local charities and cultural institutions, and a connecting point for folklórico groups across Europe.
Dance is an ever-evolving art, and we continue to be amazed at its power to bring all kinds of cultures together to speak and feast in a single language.
What we do
Perform
At festivals, embassies, universities, weddings and community events across the UK and Europe. We dance the regional traditions of Mexico — the fast footwork of Jalisco, the coastal dances of Veracruz, the polkas of the north — in traditional dance dress made through direct connections with Mexican artisans.
Bring people together
We host the annual Encuentro Folklórico Mexicano, which gathers folk dance groups from across Europe in London. Across its editions we have worked with 16 groups in 5 countries. We also maintain a free publicdirectory of folklórico groups in Europe, so they can find one another.
Teach
We run affordable dance technique workshops for the community, and have delivered educational programmes with partners including the Acosta Dance Centre in Woolwich and the charity Joy of Sound in Brixton. Every performance carries context — where a dance comes from and what it means.
Make room
As a queer-led organisation we have taken a deliberately inclusive approach to a traditional art form, creating a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ dancers and others who have not always found one in folklórico.
Some of what we have done
- 2022
- Founded in London by a group of Mexican friends living in the UK.
- 2023
- First appearance at the London Pride Parade, with the Mexican Embassy in the UK — now an annual fixture.
- Performed at the “5 de Mayo” Festival at La Palmeraie in Paris.
- 2024
- Curated the Day of the Dead Festival London, the largest celebration of its kind in the UK.
- Guest performers at the Qulture Shock gala in Belfast, organised by Queen’s University and held at the Europa Hotel.
- 2025
- Performed for the Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom.
- Performed at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for the Mexican Ambassador to the UK and the Honorary Consul of Mexico in Birmingham.
- Latino Life in the Park, one of London’s largest Latin American celebrations.
- Queer Art 4.0, commissioned by the Mexican Embassy.
- 2026
- Shortlisted for the One Dance UK People’s Choice Award, alongside companies including Motionhouse.
- Hosted the third Encuentro Folklórico Mexicano at Rambert, London.
Who leads us
Ana Herrera
Co-director and founding member
Ana grew up surrounded by folklórico in Mexico City, among dance teachers in her own family, and took part in programmes sponsored by Mexico’s National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) as well as four different dance companies. She has spent more than twenty years in Mexican dance communities, theatre and volunteering, and has lived in London since 2019.
Germán Muñoz
Co-director and founding member
Germán brings over twenty years as a Mexican folk dancer and teacher. He trained at ITESM Campus Monterrey and has performed across the Americas and Europe. Since founding the company in 2022 he has led much of its programming and its work on cultural authenticity.
Our mission
To spread the joy and pride of Mexican culture by sharing authentic regional Mexican folklore through dance, while holding to our core values of respect, inclusion, equality and openness.
We feel grateful for the opportunity to show a piece of the true spirit of Mexican folklore — historically part of any family celebration, made with whatever resources were available, and always with happiness, fraternity and heart at the centre of every dance.
We aim to express Mexican traditions with integrity while evolving with modern society, welcoming all ages, levels and nationalities into our familia.
Our values
We are firm believers in diversity and in respect for every member’s skills and contributions. We keep friendship, teamwork and discipline in everything we do, while having fun and enjoying our traditions.
- Respect for every member’s opinion and consent
- Inclusion of all backgrounds and identities
- Equality in participation and representation
- Openness and transparency in all activities
- Commitment to authentic cultural preservation
- Zero tolerance for hate speech, discrimination, bullying or authoritarianism