Cuicacalli (meaning ‘House of Culture’ in Nahuatl) is a year-round youth dance and music program, based out of BRAVA Theater in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District-the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. Founded in 2008 by Mexican native Jesus Cortes, Cuicacalli is a cross-cultural, dance and music educational institution, providing Indigenous, Ballet Folklórico, Contemporary Dance, and Mariachi music programs.

Cuicacalli values our mission to serve the diverse community of San Francisco with dedication through excellent instruction, performances, and community programs for intergenerational students, artists, teachers, and audiences of all backgrounds and continues to build relationships through arts while expanding and celebrating the cultural traditions of the Americas.

Cuicacalli instills life skills such as self expression, confidence, discipline, focus, leadership, teamwork, and positive attitude in our teachings to create responsible agents of change and influential pillars in our community. Offering versatile dance and music styles provides our students a well-rounded curriculum of cultural awareness, movement and music dynamics, strength, flexibility, composition, and the appreciation for the vibrant cultural rhythms that are the pulse of the Mission District.

Cuicacalli strongly holds our values by treating all participants equally, respectfully, and with dignity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or disability.