Julie Gallego-Gonzalez, who taught folklorico dance to thousands of students and founded Viva Performing Arts, died June 8 at the age of 64 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Born in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 10, 1961, and raised in Tucson, Gallego was passionate about dance from an early age. After seeing a folklorico performance when she was a little girl, she started dancing for a Mexican rodeo charro group at 11 years old.
Gallego attended Tucson High School and then the University of Arizona, majoring in interior design while continuing dance classes at Pima Community College. She danced throughout her childhood and adolescence.
After graduating, she taught her niece and nephew how to dance folklorico. From there, Gallego started Ballet Folklorico San Juan, her first dance class of 65 students, in the cafeteria of St. John's Evangelical Catholic School.
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Julie Gallego-Gonzalez taught dance to Tucson children for more than three decades.
Gallego continued to teach dance and opened her own studio, Viva Performing Arts Dance Studio, in 2007. Her students have performed at major United States and international mariachi conferences, making Gallego a household name among the folklorico and mariachi communities.
In 2023, Gallego decided to retire and sold the Viva location on South Park Avenue. Her daughter and niece, however, made her reconsider, family members said. She decided to reopen a new location at 16th Avenue and Ajo Way in the Santa Cruz Plaza.
Friends and family described Gallego as determined, ambitious and filled with faith and compassion. She enjoyed giving her students opportunities and enriching their lives through her culture and performance, they said.
Julie Gallego-Gonzalez smiles during a conversation with a dance instructor at Viva Performing Arts Center.
Her students, who called her Ms. Julie, adored her and looked at her as a motherly figure, said Vanessa Ramirez, one of her former students. She would give the nicknames of “my dear” and “pumpkin” to almost everyone she met.
"For many of us she created a safe space where we felt loved, we felt appreciated, valued, seen. She was our safety," Ramirez said.
Her family was the most important thing to her, and she made sure everyone had a place to express themselves comfortably, said Raul Aguirre, a close friend of Gallego's.
"I think she had earned a revered place in the hearts of her students, the parents, and the community, and in a cultural way, in a personal way, and also in a professional way," Aguirre said.
Gallego was very dedicated to her faith, which led to her opening a store, Ave Maria Religious Gift Shop, which became a significant part of her life.
Gallego is survived by her husband of 42 years, Tony Gallego, as well as her three children, Chanel, Clarissa and Carlos; her mother Mary; and sisters Terri, Patricia and Debbie.
