Press Releases

The National Folk Festival El Grande de Grandes restarts with the first International Edition in 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 24 August 2021, La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras

The Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca will recommence the National Folkloric Festival El Grande de Grandes in La Esperanza on the 9th of October 2021 as an International Folkloric Festival. This will be the decimal edition of the festival and the first international edition. This year we are inviting non-school (extraescolar) dance groups from countries in Central America. The festival was not staged in 2020 due to the pandemic and this year until the health crisis has ended, we will not include school groups. For details about the event please see our informational web page El Grande de Grandes. Further details will be added here in the coming days.

Cancelled - Russia Tour

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 14 May 2020, La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras

From Honduras with love. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca will not be touring in Russia this summer. We wish to apologize to the audiences in Russia before whom we so looked forward to performing, and we regret not meeting and making new friends among our CIOFF colleagues in the world folklore community. Please be kind to others at this time and we will conquer together.

Из Гондураса с любовью. В связи с пандемией COVID-19, Балет Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca не будет гастролировать по России этим летом. Мы хотели бы извиниться перед зрителями в России, перед которыми мы так надеялись выступить. Пожалуйста, будьте добры к другим в это время, и мы победим вместе.

Suspensión de Actividades Normales

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 15 March 2020, La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras

The Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca communicates to parents, logistics team, strategic allies, managers, suppliers, collaborators and dancers that due to the presence of COVID-19 in Honduras and for security reasons, since Sunday the 15th of March, our rehearsals, meetings and presentations are totally suspended, until the authorities give directions to return to our activities.

We will keep in continuous communication with our entire team through our communication platforms for notices, resolutions and to monitor the well-being and safety of each of them and their family members.

We call on all our followers to stay at home, and follow the indications and measures recommended by the Government of the Republic to be able to face this bad moment that all of humanity is going through. Let us ask through our prayers for the protection of God for our beautiful country and the world.

Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca and the orchestra Más Música Más Esperanza create strategic alliance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 7 November 2019, La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras

On August 24, 2019 and the mark of the celebration of the XIV International Congress of Religious and Sustainable Tourism of the XIV International Congress of Religious and Sustainable Tourism, the Orchestra of San Pedro Sula More Music, More Hope and The First is presented in Comayagua Ballet Folkloric of Honduras Oro Lenca de La Esperanza, Intibucá, delighting the public with a unique and quality show, which since that day has been taken throughout the national territory, to such an extent that in the next participation of Oro Lenca in the World Folkloriada in Russia in 2020 Maestro Nimrod Rodríguez shows off with his team of musicians and maestro Johann Serén puts the cherry on the cake with his dance team, this strategic alliance has brought benefits to both groups that managed to fit as a single group with the motto LET THE MUSIC PLAY AND LET ORO LENCA DANCE, this approach is achieved thanks to the facilities granted by the Office of Strategic Promotion MARCA PAIS HONDURAS

In 2019 EL ENCUENTRO FOLKLORICO NACIONAL EL GRANDE DE GRANDES WAS DEDICATED TO MAS MUSICA MAS ESPERANZA where both groups provided a masterful cultural show to the national folkloric community that gathered to enjoy the premier folkloric event in Honduras.

Oro Lenca Hosts Grande de Grandes IX 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 1, 2019, La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras

Ballet Folklorico de Honduras Oro Lenca stages the 9th edition of The National Folkloric Festival El Grande de Grandes 2019 on Saturday the 2nd of November. This year the event will host 59 folkloric dance groups composed of more than 900 dancers from different regions of Honduras.

Honduras has a rich folk music and dance tradition based on Spanish, mestizo, and indigenous influences. These traditions were nearly lost by the middle of the 20th century. They were only saved, starting in the 1950s, when Honduran ethnographers and folklorist started going out into towns and villages to interview elderly men and women who had performed the dances at parties and festivals in their youth. The effort was spearheaded by the Honduran folklorist and ethnographer Rafael Manzanares Aguilar. Rafael Manzanares Aguilar, a native son of Honduras to whom El Grande de Grandes is dedicated, is recognized as "The Father of Honduran Folklore". As well as researching dances in the field, Rafael Manzanares created the National Office of Folklore. This office authenticates and certifies the authenticity of resurrected dances and costumes. Sixty three years ago to this day, Rafael created the Cuadro Nacional de Danzas Folklóricas de Honduras of which he was the first director. Rafael Manzanares was also a composer whose lyrics and music include Conozca Honduras, which describes the country and its people, Ciudad de San Pedro Sula, Ciudad de La Esperanza, Ojojona, Danlí, and others.

It is a testament to the efforts of Rafael Manzanares and other folklorists that Honduras has many folkloric school and community dance groups. The young people in these groups are performing the same dances and wearing the same costumes as worn and performed by their grand parents and great grand parents. These groups perform in religious and secular events, festivals, parties, and many different competitions that occur every year. The largest and most important of these competitions is El Grande de Grandes, which is hosted by El Ballet Folklorico de Honduras. This group was formed in 2008. Within three years, the group rose to national prominence when in 2011 it became the only dance group to win the Grand Pereke (the preeminent dance competition at the time) with a perfect score. Since that time, Oro Lenca has performed in many different communities in Honduras and in many different countries in the Americas.

School groups perform dances certified by The National Office of Folklore at Basic, Intermediate Traditional Intermediate Elite, and Egresados levels. Community dance groups not associated with any school either perform traditional dances with the Egresados groups or perform longer programs at the Extraescolar level.

Ballet Folklorico de Honduras Oro Lence as the host group does not compete against other participants. They do however stage special performances at El Grande de Grandes. This year in a special production they are going to perform with the talented Honduran orchestra from San Pedro Sula, Más Musica Más Esperanza.

Oro Lenca Selected to Represent Honduras in the "Olympiad of Folklore"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2019, La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras.

Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca was selected by the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFF®) to represent Honduras in the 2020 Folkloriada in Russia from July 18 to August 1, 2020.

The CIOFF® World Folkloriada is a worldwide festival held every four years that has as its aim to bring together representatives of intangible cultural heritage from many different countries and regions of the globe. The VI CIOFF® World Folkloriada 2020 will be held in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, approximately 1400 KM East of Moscow. Bashkortostan is one of the leading regions of Russia, experienced in conducting different kinds of international events, including festivals, forums, and conferences.

Contributing to the success of Oro Lenca is not only our director, Johann Seren Castillo, and the organizational nucleus of 60 dancers and support staff, but also members of the families, people and businesses of the community, and the government at local levels (from the municipalities of La Esperanza and Intibucá), departmental and national.

The Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca Celebrates 10 Years

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 28, 2018, La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras.

From the western zone of Honduras, Central America, in the department of Intibucá, where the twin cities of La Esperanza and Intibucá are located in the Sierra de Opalaca, where you can enjoy the coolest climate in the nation. Home of the Lenca ethnic group, of pre-Hispanic origin, who still alive in the area.

Officially named Ballet Folklorico de Honduras Oro Lenca, the group was founded on December 18, 2008. Since its foundation it has been under the direction of the teacher and psychology graduate Johann Serén Castillo.

This past December 22nd in its Official Headquarters in La Casa de la Cultura in La Esperanza, the emblematic group that represents Honduras both nationally and internationally celebrated completion of its 10th year with a unique evening. In an environment highlighting the emblematic colors of its maximum strategic partner MARCA PAIS HONDURAS , the event was accompanied by beautiful live music live performed by the sampedrana orchestra MAS MUSICA MAS ESPERANZA, directed by maestro Nimrod Rodríguez. Special guests, friends , sponsors and founding members enjoyed a unique show with tradition, culture and national folklore as the protagonists. The event closed with a colorful pyrotechnics show that was a special gift sent by the Secretary of Security through the Prevention Program and to the rhythm of the anthem of Marca Honduras, so announcing to the entire city that its representative group was celebrating its 10 years of existence and to raise the name of Honduras through dance and folk music.

Recognition was given to local businessman Francisco Nolasco Rosa, to the lic. Guillermo Ordóñez, to the Martínez Osorio family for supporting Oro Lenca throughout its first 10 years. Guests enjoyed a cocktail where Esperanza's gastronomy of these dates was the protagonist, in an environment where a photographic collection was exhibited the folkloric and performing History of Oro Lenca.

Composed of young people from the department of Intibucá and directed since its foundation by Mr. Johann Serén during its 10 years, Oro Lenca has been been champion of national folklore championships on several occasions. Oro Lenca is the only group that has been performed in nearly every department of Honduras (except Gracias a Dios). The group has performed internationally in five tours to the United States, one to Mexico, one to Chile and several tours through Central America. Recently they successfully toured Colombia, participating in major festivals of great relevance among which we can mention, the Juntos Por Honduras (Together for Honduras) in the USA and The International Festival of Orizaba in Veracruz Mexico.

Oro Lenca is now considered one of the most important representatives of the national folklore in Honduras. As such, it is one of the cultural groups allied of MARCA PAIS HONDURAS, an initiative that highlights the beauties of the Honduran nation to the world.

Oro Lenca has performed for notable personalities of the world in terms of from the fields of politics, farandula, arts and sports, including the former president of Chile Michelle Bachellet, the former president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, and the footballer Ronaldinho, among others. The group has enjoyed the support of the current president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, along with previous presidents.

Currently Oro Lenca has 60 members including musicians, dancers and logistics. It is based at La Casa de Cultura (House of Culture) of La Esperanza. It is part of the artistic movements responsible for promoting the culture of peace and risk prevention for youth in Honduras. The group is has many followers in the social networks.

For eight years now, starting in 2011, Oro Lenca has hosted what has become the largest national folklore festival of the country, The National Folkloric Meet El Grande de Grandes. In the most recent edition of this even, occurring on the last Saturday of October, they gathered more than 1500 dancers from all levels and from all over the country. The event is dedicated the memory of the Honduran folklorist and native son of La Esperanza, Rafael Manzanares Aguilar, in the city designated the country´s Capital of Folklore.

El Grande de Grandes has paid tribute to great figures of folklore, art, communications and national politics. This past October 27 it was dedicated to Ms. Maria Andrea Matamoros, Minister of Strategy and Communications of the Government of the Republic and with whom Oro Lenca has enjoyed a fruitful friendship for several years.

During their celebration of 10 years Oro Lenca announced that with the help of the San Pedro Sula orchestra, Más Música, Más Esperanza, the group is preparing a Tour next summer, to be called PINTA DE COLORES, during which they plan to visit several cities in the United States and Spain, exposing the world to the national folklore of Honduras through dance, music and homegrown talent.

For more information you can find the group on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter as Oro Lenca Ballet Folklorico de Honduras or at its official website www.orolenca.org.

Oro Lenca Stages El Grande de Grandes 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 29 October 2018, La Esperanza, Honduras.

This Saturday, October 27th, the national folkloric competition El Grandes de Grandes was held in the city of La Esperanza Intibucá, where more than 60 groups from different parts of the country met, encompassing a total of 1200 dancers. The event started early in the morning to decide the national folkloric dance champion.

El Ballet Folorico Oro Lenca was commissioned for the eighth time to host this meeting, which today is the most important in Honduras and one of the largest in Central America. Dancers of different levels performed for 12 hours showing the public the beauty of Honduran folklore, an epression of the culture and the national tradition.

Each year this event pays tribute to important figures of art, politics, tourism and the business world of our country. This year 2018 the event recognized María Andrea Matamoros Castillo, the Minister of Strategy and Communications of the Government of the Republic. Equal recognition was given to attorney Patricia Lardizabal, the direcor of Marca Honduras.

Directed by Johann Serén Castillo, the Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca once again staged the event, considered of great relevance to the cultural world of our country, in addition to delighting the public with colors and an exciting show. The event hall was filled with participants and spectators from beginning to end.

The Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca is also a strategic ally of Marca Honduras and an influencial group in the country's folklore community. It is a group with rising promenance and national renown, representing Honduras throughout the country and beyond its borders in countries such as the United States, Chile, Mexico, Colombia and in all the countries of Central America.

Event Awards by Category

  • Basic: Escuela Doctor Juan Lindo from Gracias, Lempira
  • Traditional Media: Instituto Notre Dame of El Progreso, Yoro
  • Media Elite: Instituto Técnico 5 de Noviembre from Teupasenti, El Paraíso
  • Graduates and University: Escuela Fray Juan de Jesús Zepeda from Comayagua.
  • Best dress: El Ballet Folklórico San José from El Progresso
  • First place: Graduates of the Escuela Fray Juan de Jesús Zepeda of Comayagua

In addition to the customary dance awards, the Queen of National Folklore was elected for the first time, and the winner was the representative of the Fray Juan de Jesus Zepeda school, Miss Michelle Gómez.

The event concluded with the awards at around 8 in the evening and afterwards a convivial meeting of dancers was held in one of the salons of the city of La Esperanza until dawn on Sunday.

The Grande de Grandes apart from being one of the most important folkloric meets in the country is one of the most successful events in the city of La Esperanza. It projects the national culture and tradition and also fills hotels, stores, and restaurants, contributing to the economic well being of the region.

Director of Oro Lenca Declared Distinguished Intibucano

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 21 April 2018, Intibucá Honduras.

Last night during the development of #SeñoritaIntibucá2018 the Departmental Governor of Intibucá lawyer Hodalma Benítez granted our director Johann Seren Castillo a special recognition within the framework of the 135th anniversary of the creation of our department, naming him INTIBUCÁNO DISTINGUIDO, it was a very special moment. We are proud of our director, an intimate lover of this land, its culture, its folklore, its traditions and its people! THANK YOU GOVERNOR!