Itotia means " dance" in Nahuatl, the common language of ancient Mexico.

World Itotia Festival

REWIND 2022

“World Itotia Festival” was Inspired by the international festivals Ballet Folklorico Flor de Mayo has attended throughout the years. The first two festivals were held in 2018 and 2019 with week long activities from dance workshops and live performances bringing international dance, traditions, and cultures from all over the world to Southern California. 

World Itotia Festival partnered with Santa Monica College and its Dance Department to host dance workshops for participating dancers with styles ranging from Flamenco, Salsa, Hip Hop, Mexican Folklorico, Danza Azteca, Tahitian/ Hawaiian, Indonesian, Filipino, Belly Dance, and Swing. This allows the participating dancers to immerse and experience a different culture’s style of dance.  The live performances in partnership with the Broad Stage and La Plaza de Cultura y Artes have showcased dances from Hawaii, Korea, Indonesia, Africa & Mexico.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic Itotia was postponed in 2020. In 2021 Itotia came back virtually with Dance on Film with submissions from dance groups from Bolivia, Mexico, Argentina, and USA. Fast forward to 2022 Itotia will rewind the last three festivals with a recap.

We are looking forward to bringing back World Itotia Festival in 2023 with a combination of workshops, live performances, and Dance on Film theatre premiere. (Stay tuned for more info)