Samuel Cortez is a Mexican dance artist and cultural leader whose work centers on the preservation, teaching, and continued evolution of Mexican folklórico in the United States. Born in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, he began his dance training at an early age and has spent more than three decades directing, choreographing, and advancing folklórico through performance, education, and community-based practice.

His career includes national and international touring, participation in festivals and cultural exchanges, and long-term leadership with Los Lupeños de San José. Cortez’s work emphasizes cultural continuity, intergenerational learning, and the role of dance as a living tradition rooted in community experience.

Cortez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mexican Folk Dance and a Master of Fine Arts. He continues to work as a choreographer, performer, and educator, and was recently awarded a Doctorado Honoris Causa by the Claustro Doctoral de las Bellas Artes y Humanidades in recognition of his contributions to Mexican folklórico.