Ballet Folklórico refers to traditional dance in Honduras that began its resurgence in the 1950s, initiated by the work of Honduran folklorist and native son of La Esperanza, Rafael Manzanares Aguilar.

Ballet Folklórico Oro Lenca was founded on December 18, 2008, in La Esperanza under the direction of Professor Johann Serén Castillo.

The group made its national debut on 21 June of the same year in the Feria Juniana, in the industrial capital of San Pedro Sula.

The group continued to mature artistically, and in 2011 it won the Grand Prize in The Gran Pereke, which at that time was the largest dance festival in Honduras.

In September 2012, Ballet Folklórico Oro Lenca began representing the country abroad,[3] with their first annual tour for Honduran and Central American Independence Day events in Washington, D.C.

[10][11][12] They also performed at the Organization of American States (OAS), at the World Bank headquarters, and in cultural festivals in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland.

In June 2015, a dance delegation performed a repertoire of 50 dances recognized by the National Office of Folklore along with their own choreographies in Mexico City, Temascalcingo, Atizapan de Zaragoza, Tultitlan, and Orizba, and Saltillo, and represented Honduras in the Festival Mundial Tierra del Sol and the Second Festival Internacional de Orizaba".

Ballet Folklórico Oro Lenca draws its inspiration from the stories and traditions of the indigenous, colonial, and creole background of La Esperanza and Intibucá.

These are stories of harvests, religious celebrations, courtship between young men and women, folk tales, illness and death, often mixed with whimsy and humor.

While much of their dance concentrates on these roots, the group also experiments by mixing traditional choreographies with modern Latin forms, such as salsa and merengue, that are currently popular in Honduras.

Some of their performances include a progression of all forms to span the history of Honduras from its indigenous roots to a modern society in the Americas.

[24][25] Ballet Folklórico Oro Lenca has an extensive wardrobe of indigenous, creole, colonial, and modern dance costumes.

The first public appearance for this costume was at the National Palito Verde Festival in Azacualpa, Santa Barbara, on July 28, 2016 and it was received by the executive management of the Department of Culture and Arts on August 24, 2017.

[28] Annie Haylock de Orellana of La Esperanza is the exclusive tailor for the Ballet Folklórico Oro Lenca.