A Rio Grande Valley native is taking her passion for dance to big stages in New York City, but she's never forgotten where she's from.

Andrea Guajardo co-founded a dance company that shows off the art of dance while also celebrating Mexican culture.

Guajardo has been dancing her way through life since she was a child growing up in Edinburg.

"My love for dance goes back to when I grew up along the southernmost Texas border, the Valley — dancing at my mom's studio, Dance Center of Edinburg, and it was there that I fell in love with the art form," Guajardo said.

Guajardo graduated from Edinburg North High School in 2009. She then moved to New York City, where she earned a BFA in dance and graduated from the Alvin Ailey School at Fordham University.

In 2017, Guajardo co-founded Ballet Nepantla, a company blends traditional ballet with Mexican Folklorico.

"It was a way for me to bridge the gap between my identities as a ballet dancer and a Mexican American. It's been a really beautiful journey to express who I am," Guajardo said.

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For Guajardo, it's not just about performance; it's about educating the audience about Mexican culture.

"We're bringing in super diverse audiences, we're bringing in people who are being exposed to this side of Mexican culture for the first time in their lives, and they're walking out of there having learned something new about who we are," Guajardo said.

For nearly 10 years, Guajardo and her company have shared their talent with audiences across the country and around the world.

"It's been so amazing to be able to take our stories, all of these wonderful Mexican folk tales, so much about the culture across the country, in Mexico, we've performed in Paris before," Guajardo said.

Guajardo says she's not only proud to be from the Valley, but she loves to represent the 956 in New York City.

"I am super proud and every now and then, it's such a fun moment when people know where I am talking about, and I get so excited, and we geek out about it. But when they don't, I just love the opportunity to talk about my hometown," Guajardo said.

Looking ahead, Guajardo hopes to continue building Ballet Nepantla and expanding its reach.

"I still feel like, although it's been almost 10 years, that I'm just getting started, and I see myself working on a stronger future for the company and in five to 10 years I see us having performed in several new countries," Guajardo said.

A Valley native pursuing her dream and representing the entire Valley every step of the way.

Andrea Guajardo is Made in the 956.

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