Fearless Women, Champions Of Change: Françoise Vergnac Yohalem, At 86, I Still Want To Learn More Dancing Steps…

By Carolina de la Cajiga

"Being a volunteer has allowed me to travel to many countries around the world, learn about diverse cultures, and, most of all, appreciate and value our differences and similitudes," says Françoise Vergnac Yohalem with a grin. During her twenty years as a Volunteer Team Leader for Global Volunteers, Françoise led groups to 17 locations in Vietnam, South Africa, Costa Rica, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, and various Indigenous reservations in the U.S. "I worked in orphanages, children's hospitals, and homes for the elderly; we built trails, painted houses… whatever the communities required."

Françoise recalls her first time in Mexico fifteen years ago, "I was volunteering as an English teacher at a university in Queretaro, and I came to visit San Miguel Allende. Seeing its central square, the Jardin, surrounded by arcades and tall church spires, took me back to Monflinquin, one of the plus beaux villas de France, where I was born during WWII, in the Languedoc region of France. I immediately felt connected to San Miguel!"

This visit brought back memories from the war years, "My grandfather was involved in the resistance, while my grandmother gave shelter to a Jewish family. These difficult times made me a strong person. At 20, I left to study English as an au pair in London—a bold move back then… Then, at 23, I went to the U.S., where I lived for 50 years, settling in Washington DC. I returned to school and got my M.A. in Studio Art. Eventually, I married and had two daughters; this led me to manage art galleries rather than pursue a career as a visual artist."

"I also established an art consultancy specializing in Public Art projects. I worked with cities, states, and the Federal government, facilitating the incorporation of art in building projects. I organized workshops and wrote educational materials for artists to succeed in the complicated process," Françoise proudly explained.

Raising an eyebrow, Françoise says, "I now see how all this prepared me for my future life in San Miguel!" Between these endeavors, Françoise trekked and camped on the Himalayas and the Andes, "I celebrated my sixtieth anniversary at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Africa. These were marvelous adventures!" She has now lived in San Miguel for more than ten years. "It was easy for me to settle here—probably because my grandfather was from Spain, and I used to visit there when I was young, so I'm familiar with the language. Also, in school in France we had to take Spanish.” Françoise continues to reminisce, "When I moved here, I looked for a place to practice yoga. I joined a 7:00 am class at El Sindicato taught by Maestra Gloria Navarrete, where I was the only 'gringa.'  Gloria founded the Ballet Folklorico SMA and became my best friend and my 'Mexican sister.'”

"Half of my friends are Mexican, and they make me feel welcome in their lives. This is wonderful! My current activities include being part of the Board of Advisors of Casa Europa, active with UUFSMA, and volunteering with Opera San Miguel, and FASMA."

One of Françoise's passions is dancing, particularly folkloric. This led to her involvement with Gloria’s ballet group. "I helped them organize after three years of shootdown by creating "Amigos del Ballet Folklórico de SMA" to collect funds. As they don't get any governmental support, this has allowed 50 families with more than 50 dancers to return to dancing—all volunteers."

This year, the ballet is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and Françoise and the directors of the Ballet Folklorico are planning conferences, costume exhibitions, and traditional dance presentations in the spring and summer. "I'm extremely proud to be the only non-Mexican member of the "Asociación de Costumbres y Tradiciones," and have received an award from Casa de la Cultura for my work promoting local traditions with the international community."

"I would not want to live anywhere else. My children have visited several times and understand my love for Mexico, particularly San Miguel. I've never felt so 'at home' anywhere else, though; deep inside, I'm still French," says Françoise with a radiant smile.

"Dancing is my love, and I've been taking classes here all these years. I would like to travel more around this fascinating country, learn new dancing steps, make new friends, and even take on new challenges."

"Where else could I do this?" With a twinkle in her eyes, Françoise exclaims, "Only in San Miguel."