Delfos is now moving into the highest levels of contemporary dance in Mexico and Latin America.
— Rosario Manzanos, Proceso Magazine, México
Delfos Danza Contemporanea is Mexico’s premiere contemporary dance company and ranks among the best companies in Latin America both artistically and as leaders in the field. Delfos is a world class company based in Mazatlán, Mexico which inspires audiences, students and communities with outstanding performances and in-depth residencies. Their performances evoke emotion and introspection embodied by their physical grace, athleticism and vibrance. Celebrating twenty plus years, Delfos Danza Contemporanea tours throughout the world, creating enduring relationships wherever they go, seeking opportunities for collaboration and exchange and passionately committed to dance education.
EPDM (Mazatlán Professional School of Dance Education)
Since 1998 Delfos has run the Mazatlán Professional School of Dance (EPDM), a Bachelor of Arts degree program in contemporary dance that attracts students from Mexico and other parts of the world. The curriculum provides students with excellent contemporary dance education training and emphasizes an integrated arts education including dance history, visual arts, music, literature, stage production and anatomy, striving to instill in students a holistic approach to their art. EPDM regularly hosts guest artists and teachers from throughout the world to connect students to the global dance community. Students are encouraged in their professional development to not only to become excellent dancers but choreographers and creators, cultivating and developing new audiences for dance and new dance communities. Graduates of the school have spawned contemporary dance companies throughout Mexico.
Company History
Delfos Danza Contemporanea was founded in 1992 by Mexican choreographers/dancers Claudia Lavista and Victor Manuel Ruiz in Mexico City. In 1996 we moved to Mazatlán, México with the vision of creating dynamic new works as well as developing a professional training program for contemporary dancers. The company is a unique collective of artists whose creative vision is characterized by fluid physicality and poetic narratives.
Delfos is a company and a school with a mission built upon the essential elements of creativity, education, dialogue and collaboration. We are also a group of artists and educators interested in generating new ideas, new approaches, new forms and projects. Delfos Danza Contemporanea is interested in participating with other artists, companies and choreographers in artistic endeavors and partnerships. We are attracted to the edge of our art form and all the possibilities that exist when we push our boundaries. We believe in the power of dance and art, which gives balance to our community, our society and the world in which we live.
Awards and Fellowships
- México En Escena Award 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013
- Mellon Residential Fellowship for Arts Practice and Scholarship at the Richard and Mary L. Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry, University of Chicago (Claudia Lavista)
- Guggenheim Fellowship 2009 (Omar Carrum)
- National Endowment for the Arts in association with National Dance Project Touring Grant of New England Foundation for the Arts 2004 (first Mexican contemporary dance company chosen to tour the US)
- ArteAméricas Touring Support 2005-2006
- The Mexican National Dance Award in 1992, 1997 and 2002
- Best Dance Company in Mexico, Mexican Critics' Union
- Artistic Merit Award in Brazil
- Best Performance Award 2005 XXV Lila López International Dance Festival San Luis Potosí, Mexico
- Nominated for Austin Critics Choice Award 2011, Austin, TX
The men are gorgeous, the women are lithe and beautiful and the choreography original. This amazing company is an outstanding ensemble.
— Phyllis Goldman, Show Guide East Off Broadway, NY, NY
