Bearkat Orgs: Alma Folklórica

Bearkat Orgs: Alma Folklórica

All of the student organizations at Sam Houston State University aim to give Bearkats a place to find each other to celebrate their shared interests and learn about something new. One such org, Alma Folklórica, combines its members’ shared passion for dance with their appreciation for Hispanic heritage and culture.

Jenise Davis, Alma Folklórica’s former vice president and a health sciences graduate, says that the group was able to reconnect her with her family’s generations-long love of folklórico-style dance and provide her with a creative outlet.

Her connection with the dance dates back to the 1960s, when Davis’ grandmother performed ballet folklórico shortly after it was created by Amalia Hernandez. Davis likes to think that her grandmother danced with Hernandez, thus starting off the family’s ties to the dance style. Next in line to try it out was her mother.

 “A choreographer came to her elementary school and had all the fifth graders try out and she was one of the few that made it, hearing this made me realize that dancing is in our blood,” Davis said. “My mom got to dance in that choreographer’s company in Austin, then my cousin danced for the same company. Now, I’m dancing here at Sam.”

Her journey to Sam and eventually the vice presidency of her beloved campus organization started with her searching for a college that would let her pursue her dreams at an affordable cost. When Davis began attending SHSU in 2020, she was discouraged by the COVID-19 pandemic shuttering the university’s multitude of programming and events.

“When I first came here, it was during the pandemic and there was nothing to do,” Davis said. “I was pretty much isolated in my room, and I had a very negative attitude towards everything; I was like ‘I’m just going to get my degree and I’m going to get out of here, I’m not going to make any friends.’ I was very depressed at the time, but whenever I met those friends in the fall of 2022, everything changed for me in the best way possible. Now, 2020 me would be very surprised at 2024 me.”

Thanks to joining Alma Folklórica, Davis met the people she now refers to so fondly who, at the time, brought her out of her shell and changed her whole college experience. When she would try to hide in the back during the group’s practices and performances, Davis’ fellow folklórico dancers took notice and encouraged her to follow her inner dancer to the front of the stage. She then took her place alongside Emilia Verde Palma at the helm of the organization, working to strengthen the group for those who will come after them.

“I am continuing to plan and implement changes to set things up so that the next generations of officers and members can thrive, because this is something I care about,” Davis said. “It’s my culture, and I love dance. I always say it is my first love and I want to take care of it because it’s precious to me.”

On top of growing her social and leadership skills, being part of the group has grown Davis’ confidence through participating in competitions. Alma Folklórica’s practices are not just for their community performances; those practices and performances help prepare the dancers for the big stage when they eventually hit the road and compete with collegiate and professional folklórico dance companies across the country.

While Davis’ experience in the organization has enhanced her student experience, she encourages those looking to get involved on campus to learn more about the orgs they want to join before diving in. She emphasized the importance of making sure that the organization’s values, activities and meeting times align with the student’s own values, abilities and schedules. When students with shared interests are able to come together and discuss all of their unique perspectives around that common bond, they can enrich each other’s college journeys and lives.

“We’re a very positive organization. I know lots of people say that they’re a family, but when I say we’re a family, I definitely mean it,” Davis said in regard to the group’s close ties. “If you call and tell us you have a flat tire, we’ll come and help. We have had people go all the way to College Station, where a member was stranded, to fix a flat tire and bring them back. That is community, that’s our familia.”