Maclovia Ruiz (1910–2005) was a dancer in the 1930s with the San Francisco Ballet. She also had the lead role in a piece choreographed by George Balanchine for the 1936 production of Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera House.Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, in Mexico, Ms. Ruiz moved with her family to San Francisco in the U.S. state of California as a child and was taught folk dancing by her father. She would perform in neighborhood clubs, but local dance schools discriminated against her because of her skin color and ethnic background. At the age of ten (10) she finally gained acceptance into the Peters Wright Dance School, where she studied interpretive dance while performing on the vaudeville circuit outside of class.When she was 23, she gained entry to the San Francisco Ballet. She went on to perform with the Metropolitan Opera Company and Balanchine's American Ballet Company. She also danced in Samuel Goldwyn's 1938 movie musical extravaganza, The Goldwyn Follies.Throughout her career, Ms. Ruiz continued dancing in nightclubs, performing flamenco throughout Spain and South America. Ms. Ruiz continued to dance well into her 70s, teaching ballroom and Spanish dance and offering movement classes to the elderly and the disabled.
She continued dancing into her 70s. She taught ballroom and Spanish dance, and led movement classes for seniors and disabled people.
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In the 1940s, she joined the USO and performed with notables such as Jose Greco and Pilar Lopez at the Hollywood Bowl.
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Danced in operas and night clubs and she mastered the art of Spanish dance, including Flamenco which she performed throughout Central and South America.
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She overcame humble beginnings and prejudice to become the first ethnic dancer in a major American ballet company and who ultimately snagged the lead role in Carmen at New York's Metropolitan Opera House.
$1.6 Million
