Freeing Folklorico

Gema Sandoval, co-founder of Danza Floricanto / USA, has always viewed herself as a “cultural worker” as much as an artist.

“Mexican folk dance is a political statement--a way of strengthening identity and altering perceptions,” explained Sandoval, 52, taking a breather in an East L.A. public school where her group was about to rehearse. “Since people’s defenses are down, it’s intrusive without being threatening: a vehicle for social change.”

Still, that vehicle, in her mind, is in need of an overhaul--which is what Sandoval and her 24-year-old company are about these days. Not that she’s abandoned her original goal of preserving regional Mexican folk dance. She’s just pushing its parameters and introducing a vocabulary more in line with her current concerns.

“Now that other respectable, if interchangeable, troupes exist to carry on the folklorico tradition, I’m freer to explore my own vision,” Sandoval says.

The latest of these will be on view Saturday at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. “Zapateados y Taconeos: The Full Story” looks at the range of percussive “footwork and heelwork” found in Mexican folk dance--including the Tex-Mex polka-type variety and steps resembling the sound of horses’ hoofs, common to the Huasteca highlands in northeastern Mexico. By taking these virtuoso moves out of their typical context, Sandoval wants to highlight their difficulty and universality, much as “Riverdance” did for Irish step-dancing.

“I want to build respect--to show that these techniques are adaptable to a variety of dance forms,” says Sandoval, artistic director of the company, which, she says, is the city’s oldest existing professional Mexican folk dance troupe. “If you only value the Martha Graham turn of the pelvis, we fall short. But if you value skill and footwork, the possibilities are endless.”

A 15-minute a capella version of “Zapateados,” performed during last year’s Feet Speak season, was the germ of the new work, which has been expanded into three parts. The first serves up couples dancing--a staple of folklorico presented with nuevo touches. In Sandoval’s version, a feminist sensibility is very much on display--bucking folk dance mores, she says. The nine female dancers are featured as much as the males--and are far less deferential than usual.

Such nuances stem not only from Sandoval but from the performers in her troupe. She says she attracts the “thinking Latino dancer”--interested in breaking the mold.

“The women here are college graduates, not necessarily intellectual, but looking for more of a voice,” says Sandoval’s 24-year-old daughter and namesake, who dances with the group.

Part Two of “Zapateados” focuses on props--the sweep of the skirt, the wave of a fan, the unfurling of a shawl--lyrical elements of Mexican dance that often get lost in group presentations, Sandoval suggests. And individual dancers are the focus of the final section--a rarity in folklorico productions.

“Mexican folk dancers are always part of the scenery--you never know their names, “ Sandoval says. “This concert is about creating individuals--putting bios and pictures in the programs and giving each one their moment, which is very American, I think.”

Her aesthetic, she says, is both American and Mexican--a reflection of the fact that she straddles two worlds. Born in Mexico City, she’s lived in Los Angeles since she was 11--receiving a bachelor’s degree in English from Cal State L.A. and a master’s degree in education administration from Pepperdine University. In 1975, Sandoval was one of five teachers who formed the Floricanto Dance Theatre. The name was changed 11 years later to Danza Floricanto / USA to emphasize its American thrust.

To pay the bills, Sandoval spent 17 years in the Los Angeles Unified School District, starting in 1976 as a playground director and ending up an assistant principal. She was also appointed executive director of Plaza de la Raza Cultural Center--a job she left in 1994 to focus exclusively on her dance company. Not until she had time to think, she says, did the company metamorphosis begin.

In recent years, Sandoval has choreographed original pieces. One, about United Farm Workers founder Cesar Chavez, was done in collaboration with modern dancer Loretta Livingston. Two other theme dances dealt with mother-daughter relations and acculturation.

Sandoval will soon head for Guatemala and El Salvador to research other cultures. Out of that, she plans to create a piece on “Latino L.A.” that she hopes to present at the Ford next summer.

Experimenting within this folk dance tradition, she observes, is a matter of trial and error for everyone concerned. She’s walking on untested ground--and her company has to learn new movements.

“I told one dancer yesterday that I want a Bob Fosse move--touching the rim of his hat and coming across,” Sandoval recalled. “Though folk dance fights those influences, I’m bringing them into the mix.”

Sandoval’s attempt to broaden folklorico isn’t embraced by everyone, says Valentina Shibata, 29, a troupe member for the past five years.

“Some are critical of what’s happening in our studio,” she says. “They think creating modern Chicano dance means forgetting the traditions of our ancestors. Still, other companies are following our lead: relying less on couples and more on theme dances and group choreography. We’re definitely seeing ripples.”

Sandoval says she’s gripped by the “pathfinder syndrome”--always pushing the envelope. But when it comes to major change, pragmatism comes in handy.

“My culture won’t allow for a ‘breakthrough,’ ” she concedes. “It’s always a ‘transition.’ This concert lays the groundwork, paving the way for the stories to come.”

BE THERE

Danza Floricanto / USA performs “Zapateados y Taconeos: The Full Story” at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., Saturday, 8 p.m. Tickets: $22 for adults, $7 for children. (323) 461-3673.