Frank Herrera fell in love with dance at a young age, and through that love, Roswell’s culture was greatly enriched. Herrera died on August 7, but his impact on Roswell through his dedication to Mexican and New Mexican dance traditions and his 26 years of teaching in Roswell’s schools will long be remembered.

“He will be greatly missed and never forgotten,” said Lauri Dudek, a longtime Roswell recreation officer and one of Herrera’s dance students.

“Roswell has definitely lost one of its heroes,” she said.

Benito and Josie Herrera, Frank’s parents, were originally from Hondo Valley but moved to California because there was more work there.

Frank Herrera was born in Long Beach, California in 1956, but his parents wanted to retire to New Mexico and so they moved to Albuquerque when Frank was 12 and later settled in San Patricio.

There, his parents became heavily involved with the Hondo Fiesta Dancers and young Frank soon felt attracted to the local cultural traditions.

“I fell in love with Mexican culture, dance and music,” Frank Herrera told the Record in 2016.

It wasn’t long before he helped his parents and teachers pass on the traditions.

“In my second year, my teacher immediately recognized my talent and asked me to teach the younger children,” Herrera said in 2011.

Frank Herrera attended Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in finance.

During his stay in Portales, inspired by his love of folklorico, he founded a dance group.

He also wanted to become a teacher, so he stayed in Portales and obtained his teaching certificate.

When he moved to Roswell in 1982, he began teaching under Minnie Wright, a local dance legend who owned a studio.

In 1991 he founded Roswell Folklorico.

Herrera loved traditional dance because of its color, culture and tradition, he told the Record in December 2011 as he prepared for the Roswell Folklorico’s annual Christmas show.

“It’s important to know our heritage and keep it alive in the States,” he said. “Many people from this part of the country don’t have the opportunity to experience the culture.”

Dudek said Herrera made it his life’s mission to make the world a better place and to introduce the world, New Mexico and especially southeastern New Mexico, to the beauty of folklorico dance.

Herrera wanted the Folklorico performances to always remain fresh, so he had his students learn dances from all 30+ states of Mexico, but also dances that date back to pre-colonial Aztec traditions.

Roswell Folklorico strives to represent each region or state with authentic costumes, including different hairstyles, jewelry, shoes and clothing, Herrera told the Record.

Obtaining the right costumes was not an easy task, as the folkloric tradition involves extravagant costumes and these could often only be purchased from Mexican artists.

Dance and choreography were central to Herrera’s character, said Sandra Martinez, a musician who has worked with the Roswell Folklorico.

“I talked to him and he planned the choreography in his head,” she recalls.

Mayela Sosa, who now owns her own dance school, “Asi se Baila,” said she took lessons from Herrera from the age of nine and danced with him on and off for 15 years.

“He was open and willing to teach anyone,” she said. “He showed us as much as we wanted to learn.”

Sosa said Herrera was compassionate but demanding.

“He was very strict about how we dressed and how we behaved,” she said.

Sosa praised Herrera for going the extra mile for his students.

“He made sure we performed throughout the community, especially in senior homes – he believed in that,” she said. Herrera also took the time to take his dancers to folklore workshops and competitions.

“We almost always came home with at least one place in the top five,” said Sosa.

Over the years, Herrera, his dancers and his dance program have won numerous awards, including the National Parks and Recreation Association’s Humanities Program of the Year award in 2001.

“You always hear that when someone dies and a light goes out, the world gets a little darker,” Dudek said. “And I would definitely say that about him.”

Sosa said she will work to keep the dance culture alive in Roswell.

“I think we will pay him a special honor in the coming months and will definitely dedicate our next annual concert to him,” she said.