The Dancer by Maria Stephens

Maria Stephens

I was born in Pachuca in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Back then, it was a miners’ town. When I turned 10 years old, I moved to Mexico City with the rest of my family. Moving from a small town to the big city was a big change for me.

The years went by, and I went on to school at Palachcio de Bellas to study dancing, which is something I have loved my whole life. I went on to the University of Mexico where I studied with a major in business administration. I knew I couldn’t dance forever and would need another career to fall back on.

When I graduated, I started teaching folkloric dance at the University of the Americas. I then started dancing professionally and was able to travel around the world. Eventually, I had all my sisters dancing and traveling with me. These were some of the best years of my life. I traveled to Central and South America, Europe as well as coast to coast in the U.S.

 Then I fell in love. My future husband was a Green Beret in the American army. I moved to the States – Fort Bragg, North Carolina -- where he was stationed. Now, I was an Army wife. While he was deployed, I moved back to Mexico because I was lonely and missed my family.

 When my husband returned, we decided to move to Chicago. We now have two kids.

My husband went on to start a 28-year career with the fire department for Air and Sea Rescue as a helicopter pilot. He passed on December 16, 2015, which left me a widow. I miss him dearly--a terrible loss. But, I do have my memories and I do have my kids and grandkids. 

 Dance was always my life, and I always say, “Music is the language of dance.”

Copyright © 2024, Maria Stephens