Molly Rufus is a Washington D.C-based arts administrator, creative, and culture worker. Her work focuses on creating spaces for diverse and expansive art projects. Molly is currently working at CulturalDC as their Programs and Exhibitions coordinator, where she focuses on public art and mobile art installations in the district. Her time is also spent coordinating artistic programming at EatonDC and as the DC Programs Manager and Chapter Co-Founder of Black Girls in Art Spaces.

Previously, she worked as a program analytics intern at the City of Alexandria to diversify their public programming before moving to coordinate operations for John F. Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera.

Discipline: Interdisciplinary

Monique N. Michel is a bilingual educator, dancer, teacher, and the Artistic Director of her company, the the Ballet Folklorico Mexico Lindo, located in Southwest Idaho. The group was established in 2003 in Nampa, Idaho. They have over twenty Mexican states in their folklorico repertoire that they perform regularly. Monique and the Ballet Folklorico Mexico Lindo have performed in five states in the Pacific Northwest, and recently celebrated twenty-one years of existence in March 2024.
Monique is a former Diversity Equity and Inclusion director, WESTAF Emerging Leaders of Colour Alumni, and a WESTAF Fellow. She active in both the Ada and Canyon County area arts communities. As a result, Monique has danced, traveled and performed both in and around the United States. She has received accolades for her work in the Latino community as well. Recently she was awarded the Orgullo Migrante Award from Radio International in Chicago. Monique believes that everyone has the ability to dance!

Director/Owner/Teacher, Ballet Folklorico Mexico Lindo

Director/Owner, Ballet Folklorico Mexico Lindo

Hello from Idaho! My name is Monique N. Michel. I’m a traditional Mexican folklorico dancer, dance director, teacher and learner for life. I’m the proud owner of my own dance company, the Ballet Folklorico Mexico Lindo from the Treasure Valley, in Idaho. I originally began dancing as a child in my hometown of East Los Angeles, California. After attending college, I moved to Idaho in 1997. I began my dance company in 2003 with the help and support of four dance parents and their children. I’ve since grown my dance company to forty-five members of all ages and abilities. Through my dancing I’ve met incredible people, formed wonderful relationships, and connected with communities in Idaho, Oregon, California, Washington and Utah. My dance outreach has afforded me the experience of sharing my culture and heritage with so many. I’m a staunch LGBTQ+ Ally, as both of my adult children are gay. I am ridiculously blessed to have not one, but two beautiful gay children who’ve shown me the richness of this world through their eyes. I’ve worked extensively with underserved populations in California and Idaho. I’ve taught the children of migrant workers for many years. Representation is super important to me. I want to leave this world knowing I made a difference in education, outreach and compassion. My hope is to start a Latinx Arts non-profit. I want to leave a legacy for future generations to know their heritage and culture and be proud of themselves and their roots.