Mexico celebrates centennial of dancer Guillermo Arriaga

Mexico's National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL) and the Secretariat of Culture launched a year‑long program to mark the 100th birthday of dancer and choreographer Guillermo Arriaga. The opening event, held on 7 July at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, featured a round‑table with researcher Margarita Tortajada, dancer Carmen Correa and choreographer Rodrigo González. Organizers announced a series of commemorative activities, including the 48th National Dance Award Guillermo Arriaga, the INBAL‑UAM Contemporary Choreography Competition, a new staging of Arriaga’s choreography “Zapata” by the National Dance Company on 1 September, and the publication of a book on the prize’s history in November. A digital repository will also house Arriaga’s extensive archive of 18,600 documents, photographs and unpublished musical works. González recalled Arriaga’s impact, saying, “He was an exceptional creator with enormous human qualities.”