Jose Somoza and Grupo Folklorico Tlapalli

The founder and primary instructor of Grupo Folklorico Tlapalli is Jose O. Somoza. He started dancing at the age of 10 with the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno. Mr. Moreno was an early influence in Jose's dancing career. Jose danced with this group from 1988 to 1995. During this time he was a part of the performing group that toured Mexico and various parts of California.

In 1996 while Jose was a member of M.E.Ch.A., (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan), at Chabot College, he and another member of M.E.Ch.A. were invited to teach some dances at La Vista Junior High School in Hayward for a Cinco de Mayo presentation. Having enjoyed the experience so much, he decided to keep teaching. So in June of 1996 with the help of his sister, who was also a dancer, and his friend Javier Silva, he formed Grupo Folklorico Tlapalli. Tlapalli is a Nahuatl word which translates to red and black ink.

In the beginning, the group practiced in several locations. They were at La Vista Middle School, Jose parents driveway, Martin Luther King Middle School, and finally moved to the Sun Gallery. This is where they have practiced since 2004. Also in 2004, Jose married and moved to Livermore, CA. He saw there was a need for a group in Livermore. In 2007 while still running the group out of Hayward, he worked with Maria Ramirez, principal at Portola Elementary School to start offering classes there. In 2010, the Livermore group moved to Junction Ave K-8 School which is where they currently reside.