INSTRUCTORES/INSTRUCTORS
Osvaldo Ramirez Vidales
Artistic Dir. and Maestro
Int. & Adv. Performers
Adults Fundamentals
Roberto Lopez
Maestro
Pre- & Teen Performers
Briana Hanes
Maestra
Children Performers
Irma Hdz. Abella
Maestra
Pre- & Teen Perf. Asst.
Children's Fundamentals
Jován Martín López
Maestro
Adult Fundamentals
Karina Gutierrez
Maestra
Adult Fundamentals
Alexis Atherley
Maestra
Int. & Adv. Performers Asst.
Osvaldo Ramirez Vidales
Osvaldo Ramírez Vidales was born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and moved to Sacramento, California in 1996. He began his dance career at the age of 17 where he joined Raíces de mi Tierra at CSU Sacramento in Fall of 2000 and completed a full 10-year trajectory from 2001-2010. From a beginner dancer to co-artistic director, Osvaldo took on multiple roles learning from his previous dance directors and instructors. Furthermore, he co-joined Instituto Mazatlán Bellas Artes (IMBA) dance company as guest dancer from 2005-2007. Between these two companies, Osvaldo had the opportunity travel and perform across California, Texas, Mexico, and China for the International Beijing Dance Festival. In the same manner, due to folklorico collaborations between local Sacramento groups, Osvaldo was also invited to teach or perform along with Nube de Oro throughout the 2000s including their annual Christmas showcase and the Ethnic Dance Festival auditions in 2016.
To further diversify his skills as dancer and choreographer, Osvaldo has attended the Asociacion Nacional de Grupos Folkloricos (ANGF) conferences since 2003 and was extended an invitation to the Asociacion Nacional de Maestros de la Danza Popular Mexicana (ANMDPM) in Mexico as of 2013. His dance training, from his early college years to the present, includes Bharatanatyam Classical Indian Dance, Ballroom, Capoiera, Afro-Cuban, Salsa, Flamenco, and Ballet. Furthermore, Osvaldo in collaboration with fellow artist Manuel Pérez, they both co-founded, along with other fellow dancers, and led their own dance company called Grupo Folklórico Los Alteños in Sacramento for 8 years from 2011 to 2019 sharing spaces with Nube Oro.
Currently, Osvaldo serves as Faculty Lecturer and Choreographer in the Department of Theater and Dance at CSU Sacramento since 2011. He teaches the Mexican Folklorico Dance class as part of the graduation requirements for Dance majors, serves as artistic director of the Ballet Folklorico of Sacramento State student club, and choregraphs for the University Dance Concerts for dance majors. In his role as faculty, he has been invited to teach Mexican Folklorico repertoire with other dance companies in California as well as with Danzantes Unidos Festival and the American College Dance Association.
Aside from his faculty role at CSU Sacramento, Osvaldo works at the Employment Development Department as a manager providing internal career services and development the State of California. He received his B.A in Psychology from UC Davis and his M.S. in Career Counseling from CSU Sacramento – he's a dual proud alum of both campuses!!!
As of Fall 2019, Osvaldo joined Nube de Oro as dance instructor for the Juvenil class while also partaking at general dance rehearsals and events. He’s very grateful for the opportunity to be part and contribute to the folklorico lineage that Nube de Oro has created for over 20 years in Northern California.
Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez began dancing at age five in Grupo Mizoc de Sacramento, under the direction of Maria Luisa Colmenarez and her brother, Luis Colmenarez. The techniques he learned established the posture and footwork, in conjunction with one another, that would stay with him from then on. He learned the history of the people within the varying regions and the affects of their history on the stylistic differences between the regions of Mexico. From this young age, he found that although dance in general was his favorite pass time—break dancing, cumbias, classic norteño music—folklórico was what held his attention.
Being in Mizoc for 10 years, Robert then joined Ballet Folklorico de Sacramento (BFS), under the direction of Mrs. Angelbertha Cobb and Mr. Ralph Baez, and taught by Eddie Cobb. In BFS he was challenged—the expectations were greater, given the number of dancers available in the group. Along with learning style, music, and history, he learned the definition of “group,” which ensured that no one dancer was to be set aside. All dancers worked together to teach new students, which gave him his first taste at instruction.
In 1995, when Ballet Folklórico Nube de Oro was created, Robert was asked to accept the position of Assistant Director, under the artistic direction of Georgette Hernández. He choreographed many dance pieces, always keeping true to the steps of his maestros. He joined Danzantes del Alma de UC Davis after an invitation by Monica Zuniga and performed with Danzantes del Alma. He has kept to heart her ideal, “It’s not ours to keep within us, it is there for us to show what Mexico has to offer.” Robert was also invited to dance with Instituto Mazatlán de Bellas Artes, under the direction of Steven Valencia, where he learned their repertoire and other regions.
With 25 years of experience, Robert has returned to Nube de Oro to teach the fundamentals and to give our newest young dancers the opportunity to perform and exceed their expectations as dancers. He sees great talent in the new generation and the hunger to learn and to perform. He returned with a slogan to energize his students: We will “N”ever give up, We are “U”nique, We are “B”eautiful, We are “E”nergetic, We are all “D”ancers, We are “E”xcited, We are “O”riginal, We are “R”espectful, and We shall “O"vercome. We are Nube De Oro!
Robert thanks the Nube family for giving him the opportunity to return to teach its new generation of dancers.
Briana Hanes
Briana began dancing at age 6 with El Ballet Folklórico Tepatitlán led by Monica Zuniga. During her 10 years with Monica, she attended workshops and learned varying styles, techniques, and the history of various dances.
When she moved to Sacramento, to attend college, she danced with Raices de Mi Tierra, and later with Grupo Folklórico Los Alteños.
Aside from teaching Nube, Briana also teaches folklórico at a Sacramento elementary school. Her two most favorite regions are Chiapas and Sinaloa.
Briana is very excited to have the opportunity to share this art with our newest Nube generation!
Irma Hernandez Abella
Irma had her first taste of Folklorico as a child in elementary school. It wasn't until she was an adult that she began to train, after enrolling her daughters in Ballet Folklorico de Sacramento taught by Erik Berumen (directed by Ralph Baez).
Following, Irma danced with Ballet Folklorico Nube de Oro while serving in several board positions. She began instructing, as Assistant Dance Director, under Robert Lopez. She choreographed dances and began setting the programs for the annual show. Irma then served as the Artistic Director of Nube de Oro for over 15 years. Throughout this time she continued her dance education by attending annually Danzantes Unidos Festival workshops, attending the Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos in Veracruz, and by hosting maestros, including Monica Zuniga, Cecilio DeCastro, Jose Borrego, Zenon Barron, and Netza Vidal.
While directing Nube, Irma also danced with Raices de Mi Tierra for nine years. She performed throughout the state of California with Raices. Irma auditioned with Raices de Mi Tierra for the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and was selected to perform on their stages five times. As a Raices member, she also became the maestra for the Raices children’s classes. Under Raices, she was also able to learn from many other maestros, for which she is grateful as it gave her the ability to see different teaching styles and appreciate the variations. One of the most memorable experiences she holds dear to heart is having the privilege of attending a conference with Rafael Zamarripa. She experienced the need to fulfill movements with purpose (RAZA Tecnica) and was taken by his point of not just teaching your dancers, but "knowing" your dancers, which fits with Nube and its feeling of familia.
Irma feels her biggest reward is seeing dancers come out of their shells as they begin to strengthen their footwork and hone their skills and styling. She is excited to once again be teaching Nube dancers!
Jován Martín López
Jován Martín López was born and raised in Sacramento, California. Coming from a musical family, the son of a singer and a maestro of folkórico, Jován began dancing with Ballet Folklórico Nube de Oro at 7. Since his parents were founding members of BFNDO, and he grew up in the foklórico community, he has always considered Nube an extension of his familia.
With over a decade and a half of dance experience, Jován prides himself on having had the opportunity to learn from a multitude of conservators of the culture during his time, attending numerous conferences and workshops.
He has worked as a choreographer for private events, as a former teacher for the Language Academy of Sacramento’s after-school folklórico program, has served on the Nube Board of Directors for multiple terms, and has been a Maestro Liaison for Danzantes Unidos Festival in recent years.
Jován’s passion for service extends beyond folklórico, as he has worked in multiple positions as a public servant, has given his time to organizations, such as the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project, is a member of the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism, and out of his love for education, is currently working representing California school administrators.
Having only recently taken on more maestro responsibilities at Ballet Folklórico Nube de Oro, Jován is ecstatic at the chance to share his knowledge of our culture’s language, history, and traditions with his class and the organization as a whole.
Karina Gutierrez
Having been introduced to Ballet Folklorico Nube de Oro through her grandfather’s mariachi, Mariachi Zacatecas, Karina has been dancing since the age of 7. She has grown in Nube de Oro, learning from many talented maestros and peers.
Karina, through the many years, has attended countless conferences and workshops, and has performed at some of these conferences, as well as in many festivals, for community organizations, and at various cultural events.
She learned the meaning of “amor hacia la cultura” through Nube and continued to learn about her cultural heritage while attending Saint Mary’s College of California, where she received her degree with a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies & Spanish Linguistics double major and Politics minor. Karina was also given the opportunity to study abroad in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, where she deepened her intellectual understanding of Mexicanidad, Chicanismo, Culture, Literature, and Society.
She has served on the Board of Directors as Secretary and Interim Vice President as well as a Student Instructor throughout her years in Nube. Karina’s most profound excitement is performing with her peers and watching how their team work and dedication displays their love for their culture on stage.
Alexis Atherley
Instructor
Alexis Atherley began dancing at the age of 5 with Ballet Folklorico Nube de Oro under the direction of Maestra Irma Hernandez Abella. Alexis is a second generation folklorico dancer through her father, Richard Atherley, a Danzantes Del Alma Alumni. It was during this young age that she fell in love with folklorico, and never looked back.
Throughout her training with Nube, she has had the privilege of learning from many guest maestros, including Cecilio de Castro, Netza Vidal, Zenon Barron, Angelica Hernandez Barajas, Maria Luisa Colemenarez, Rudy Garcia, Erik Diaz, and Osvaldo Ramirez Vidales. She began attending Danzantes Unidos Festival from a young age, attending more than 10 festivals. Through the festivals she has learned a variety of repertoire from many maestros. She also served as student instructor for Nube during her high school years.
Her greatest achievement, and favorite memory, is performing dances from the state of Chihuahua in the 2016 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival through World Arts West, where she had the opportunity to perform a world premier folklorico piece on the stage of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
During her undergraduate education, she served as board intern, student instructor, Co-VP, and Instructor Coordinator for Ballet Folklorico de UC Irvine. There, she continued to promote cultural appreciation and support the Latinx community at UCI. She also choreographed regions for the 2018 and 2019 annual shows. While the pandemic halted the 2020 annual show, she returned as an Alumni and choreographed Senior Dance and Alumni Dance during the 2022 Annual Show.
Not only has her love for Mexican folk dance grown, she is passionate about learning more about the rich history of Mexican Folklorico. She has continued her folklorico education by attending workshops at ANGF, Coalición de Folkloristas Unidos, and others. She continues to research on her own time and actively seeks opportunities to supplement her skills as a dancer and instructor.
As a returning dancer and instructor in Nube de Oro, she hopes to inspire and support the next generation of dancers. She is grateful for the doors that folklorico has opened for her and hopes to give back to the community that raised her.