. . "I met #RoyLozano when I was an undergraduate student at the @utaustintx in the early 1990s and danced in his company. . Roy Lozano was born on February 23, 1952 in Alice, Texas. Realizing a dream, Roy was selected to perform with @balletamaliamx. Later and along with Michael Carmona, he co-founded a folkloric dance group at @utaustintx and later founded a professional company in Austin, Texas in 1982: Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklorico de Texas (RLBFT). Roy was able to serve as artistic director for RLBFT for 12 years before his death in 1994 from AIDS. . Roy was devoted to Mexican folkloric dance which exemplifies Mexican history and culture through the art of dance. He is quoted as saying, “I would have to live three of four lifestimes to show all of Mexico’s folk dance; it’s that diverse. One lifetime is not enough.” . Roy’s work provided a sense of pride to his dancers and the Mexican-American community at large. His company is still thriving today and our Mexican-American Heritage is celebrated here in Texas thanks to his legacy. . After announcing his illness through a letter read by friends while hospitalized, Roy was greeted a few days later by his dance company who staged a surprise performance for him outside his hospital room at Brackenridge Hospital. I remember Roy was holding his head in his hands and weeping throughout the performance. He might have even corrected some of us on our technique — he was a stickler for details and discipline! . Roy passed away on March 4, 1994. The dancers performed a few days later at the @austindancefestival : A Gala Benefiting AIDS Services of Austin. . In an article in the magazine the Texas Triangle on March 23, 1994, in reviewing RLBFT’s performance of “Mazatlan” at this Gala, writer Alex Wallace stated, “The Dancers seemed to me to be more defiant than members of ACT UP or other activist groups, for by dancing with joy they defied not a mere government or agency, but death itself.” and that “Roy Lozano could not have had a more fitting tribute.” — by Cynthia Vera McClure . #whatisrememberedlives #theaidsmemorial #aidsmemorial #endaids #neverforget (at Austin, Texas)
