By day, Ana Maria Maynard is an engineer at IBM. But in her spare time, she’s a cultural powerhouse for the arts. Maynard is the founder of the Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance & Cultural Center, which now has its first permanent location in East Austin.
Growing up in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in the Bronx, Maynard said her childhood was filled with joy and music and culture. When she moved to Austin and had children of her own, Maynard was inspired to recreate that experience for them and share it with the rest of the community.
 |  |
 | |  |
| | | | | | | |
Puerto Rican performing arts
New 8 Austin’s Hermelinda Vargas interviews Ana Maria Maynard.
 
| | |
| | | | | |
|
She founded the Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance & Cultural Center in 1977. The troupe has performed a number of dances over the years, including the popular Celebrando every summer.
Now the Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance & Cultural Center has a 2,100-square-foot facility to offer classes in dance, music, cultural studies and choir.
The studio was helped funded by Ruta Maya Importers, the City’s Cultural Arts Division, the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico.
