Mitchell Castro

Mitchell Castro (he/him/his) is a dance artist, researcher, and educator specializing in folklórico, Mexican folk dance. Originally from California's Central Valley, Mitchell holds a BA in Dance from California State University, Fresno, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Dance at Arizona State University (ASU). At ASU, Mitchell serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and current President of the Graduate Dance Organization. In his most recent professional engagement, he served as Assistant Choreographer for the theatrical adaptation of Eva Luna, a novel by Isabel Allende, in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre here at ASU.

With over 13 years of folklórico experience, Mitchell has maintained active membership with the Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos since 2015 and fulfilled the role of Golden Pacific Regional Representative (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) from 2022 to 2023. Additionally, he served as the Director's Assistant for Los Danzantes de Aztlán at California State University, Fresno, under the guidance of Dr. Victor Torres.

Mitchell's professional performance experience includes guest appearances with Kareli Montoya's Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles, where he participated in select productions alongside acclaimed artists including six-time Latin Grammy recipient Lila Downs and regional Mexican artist Camila Fernández. He has performed on renowned stages, including the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the War Memorial Opera House, and the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, as well as the Santa Barbara Bowl in Santa Barbara, California.

His research incorporates an autoethnographic approach alongside other methods to examine the cultural significance of folklórico. Through critical reflection on his positionality, he explores how personal experience shapes his understanding of identity, performance, and pedagogy within the field. This perspective enables him to engage with the complexities of cultural transmission and artistic interpretation in both practice and scholarship.