This might sound cheesy to the uninitiated, but if you’ve ever been to the Ballet Folklórico in Mexico City you know it’s 100 percent legit. The Ballet has been around since the early Fifties and is constantly changing. When I checked it out in 2019 it was a gorgeous, confident pageant of indigenous music and dance from traditions little known in the U.S., like Son Huasteco, Son Jarocho, Son Istmeño, and Pirekua. It’s the exact opposite of fall-asleep music and the dancing has nothing to do with European ballet. It’s glorious, fun, inscrutable Mexico. – Brant Bingamon
