10/29/2025
🌟 MEET THE 2025 MAESTROS🌟
Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, Roberto Martínez Rocha began dancing at the age of eight in 1982 and joined the Ballet Folklórico of the University of Guanajuato (BAFUG) in 1989. In August 1997, he became the company’s Director. Under his leadership, he founded the Children’s Group, a training ensemble that feeds new dancers into the main company, and officially established the acronym BAFUG.
As a dancer and choreographer, Martínez Rocha has created numerous themed programs that preserve and promote Mexican and Guanajuato folk traditions. His direction has brought BAFUG to national and international stages, including tours in France, Switzerland, Guam, China, and the United States. He has also led major collaborations with university folkloric groups across Mexico and the U.S.
BAFUG has performed at prestigious events such as the Festival Internacional Cervantino (2000–present), Vallarta Azteca International Folklore Festival (2022), the welcoming of Pope Benedict XVI (2012), and the Hannover Messe Industrial Fair (2019). He also developed the company’s Holy Week and Annual Seasons (2005–2020) and participated in the PBS film Fiesta Mexicana by Habanero Films.
Martínez Rocha won the State Grant for Artistic Creation (2007) for his project Día de las Flores, honoring one of Guanajuato’s most important traditions. He has taught countless workshops and repertoire courses throughout Mexico and the United States, sharing Guanajuato’s dance heritage with educational and community institutions, including UCLA, South Texas College, and numerous universities and cultural schools.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Artistic Education with a specialization in folkloric dance, and a technical degree in Tourism Administration from the University of Guanajuato. He has trained under renowned Mexican dance figures such as Rafael Zamarripa and Everardo Hernández, and studied modern and contemporary dance with leading experts.
Martínez Rocha has participated in national and international dance congresses and has served as an educator, researcher, and cultural advocate. He was a member of CIOFF (UNESCO’s International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals), representing Guanajuato from 2011 to 2016, and has held various cultural leadership roles in the State Institute of Culture.
🔗Register today for the workshops at: https://forms.gle/m5wJpjzymy9xzkEg8
