After having staged several well-received dance programs, Amalia Hernández founded the Ballet Folklorico de México in 1959. Since then it has been performing at the historic Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.
Hernández formed her first dance group in 1952, called the Ballet Moderno de México. The Mexican department of tourism asked her to take her company on tour in 1958. Among their stops were Canada, Cuba and the United States. The following year the group performed at the Pan-American games in Chicago, and it was for this appearance that the group adopted the name Ballet Folklorico de México.
Performances recreate regional dances from throughout Mexico. To choreograph the dances, Hernández traveled the country, filming local dances, recording the music and taking detailed pictures to document the local costumes.
The company regularly conducts international tours. Over the years they have been on the road more than 100 times, and have visited the United States more than 50 times.
In the early 1960s, Hernández started a dance school associated with the ballet company. Since that time, more than 25,000 dancers have studied there.