The Tour Generation 1986-1992
With more performance experience and elaborate costuming, a strong economic base and a continuously renewed repertoire, the tour generation consolidated the definitive style that beame the trademark of the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of chicago. This period also saw the departure of Ofelia Solano and Serafín Guevara at the end of 1987. The company's three-group format was changed into a two-group format with Matie Ovalle instructing the new first group and José Luis the adult group. During this period Mr. Henry A. Roa, who had become one of the principal Latino cultural promoters of the Midwest, officially became the executive director of the company.

The tremendously talented dancers of the tour generation inspired José Luis Ovalles's most creative choreographies one of which was "50 Años de Historia" that debuted in 1988. This suite presented the evolution and incorporation of European style and rhythms into Mexican culture. The dance work chronologically portrayed some key historical periods of Mexico starting with the French Intervention in the mid 1800's, to the period of Porfirio Díaz and concluding with the Mexican Revolution of 1910 that showcased the "Mexicanization" of the polka. The thundering force of the "banda de viento" of Zacatecas and the fact that many of the dancers were from Zacatecas inspired the dance work "Tamzorazo" that became another successful suite in 1988. The suites "Villahermosa" from the state of Tabasco and "Guajiras de Salon" from the state of Campeche also debuted with the tour generation.

It was during a visit to Mexico that Matie Ovalle introduced José Luis to one of her former dance instructors Manuel Hernández. From that meeting arose the idea of taking the company to several cities in northern and central Mexico. The idea became a reality in July of 1988. The Mexican media, at first aprehensive of a "Chicano" group performing Mexican folkloric dance, gave MFDC great reviews citing the excellence and quality of MFDC's performances. Grupo Xochipilli of Mexico, directed by Manuel Hernández, accompanied MFDC on the tour and also recieved good reviews. This performance tour in Mexico was a great artistic accomplishment for the Company and for some of the dancers constituted their very first trip to Mexico.

The demand for MFDC performances continued to increase during the tour generation period. Some of the most notable performances were at Orchestra Hall accompanied by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, at Roosevelt, Northern Illinois and Chicago State Universities, the Opera House, the Chicago Theater, the 1987 Pan-American games in a reception for Vice President George Bush, as well as interviews and coverage of MFDC on Television Channesl 2, 5, 7, 9 44, and 60. A celebration banquet and performance were organized to mark MFDC's tenth anniversary in March of 1992. They were held at the palatial South Shore Cultural Center.