ArtSpark presents World Dance/Music: This Time Mexico
Los Lupeños de San José
El Conjunto Alegre and El Mariachi Alegre
Jarocho Conjunto DíaPa'Son - Maria De La Rosa* and friends
Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater
February 11-15, 2013
Teacher Notes
Bienvenidos - Welcome! During the next hour our dancers and musicians will take you
on a journey through Mexico. We will start on the east coast in the state of Veracruz, where
once the great Spanish galleons were unloaded and their cargos transferred to mule trains
traveling from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. The muleteers (los arrieros) were rugged
men who distributed the fashionable songs and dances along their routes.
We will climb westward to the central plateau of Mexico, passing by the snow-capped
volcanos of Orizaba and Popocatepetl. When the muleteers reached Mexico City, they
exchanged their cargos at the central markets and took time to rest and socialize in taverns
surrounding the great plazas, perhaps dancing a jota with one of the lovely ladies (chinas).
Next we pass through the pine forests surrounding Lake Patzcuaro in the state of
Michoacán. Finally we will reach the state of Jalisco, the corn belt of Mexico with large ranches
and working horsemen, los charros. The mariachi, best know of the Mexican musical
ensambles, were originated in the areas around Jalisco.
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I: Veracruz - Sones Jarochos
The dances of Veracruz are traditionally done on a tarima, or wooden platform. The village
comes together for weekend fiestas, called Fangandos. Musicians play sones (dance melodies)
that utilize the instrumentation of the harp small guitars called requinto, and jarana. There are
set verses, but the better musicians can improvise lyrics on the spot, often times making them
humorous or flirtatious.
Traditionally, the dancers also improvised rhythmic footwork
(zapateados) around a basic style of moving. In the 1940s, when the dances moved onto the
performance stages as entertainment, the steps became more intricate and virtuostic. The
costumes changed from the pastels of village dress to dresses and guayaverras (the men's
shirts) of all white. The women's stage costume used a fan, lace shawl, gold broaches, and
hair combs reminiscent of Spanish dress. The skirt was amplified and strewn with lace. The
result is quite striking and recognizable to audiences.
One of the signature works is called "La Bruja". The verse speaks of feminine spirits or witches
(brujas) who hover near the ocean and tempt the fishermen to their ruin, a very old story
indeed. The double entendre speaks of witches who distract the men by blowing in their ears,
but the reference is clearly the lure of flirtatious women who live in Veracruz. At one time,
Veracruz fishermen placed torches along the shoreline to help guide their boats back to land
when night fishing. Las brujas would take the torches and fly them out to sea, guiding the
fishermen to their ruin.
II: Social Dances of Central Mexico - "Plaza Suite"
This suite shows us of a very clear picture the life style of Mexican society in the middle of the
nineteenth century. The joy of the music and the songs transport the viewer to those years
when people ended their work week in the tianguis (street markets) near the churches and
central plazas. Vendors, musicians and citizens from distinct elite classes came to buy some
sweets or food treat and enjoy meeting friends. This suite is a portrait of the new born
nationalist feeling of that period, where Mexicans used the danced sones and jarabes as
symbols of the new nation.
Picture yourself in the Plaza de Armas in mid-19th Century Guadalajara on a Saturday morning.
Street vendors, strolling musicians, and the general public co-mingle. The strums of El Jarabito
(the little Jarabe) begin and folks begin dancing to the well-known rhythm of the Spanish jota.
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Things get a bit livelier with El Tejón (the badger) as men become a bit more aggressive and
women a bit more coy. When the musicians see a young lady in their midst, they play La
Potranca (the mare) and she is the obvious focus for male attention. Since etiquette
discourages direct engagement, the double-entendre verses of El Coco (the coconut) ensure
that courtship is in the air!
Michoacán
A. Pátzcuaro
Danza de los Viejitos - Around the Lake Patzcuaro region of Michoacán in Central Mexico, many
village have a dance tradition called Danza de los Viejitos. Each village has its own musical
renditions and costume variations in regard to this dance. If is done by men of all ages, who
use masks and canes to impersonate little old men. Some time it is a serious interpretation with
intrigate footwork, but most times the dancers add humor to the interpretations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrhdORnJptw
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B. Fandango Planeco (Apatzingan) –
This dance suite is choreographed by Ignacio Sanchez, who is from the Apatzingan region of
Michoacan, Mexico. The suite, “Fandango Planeco,” depicts a fandango (celebration) in a small
town, which includes family interactions, love between a young couple, music, and intricate
dancing. Imagine yourself in a small town where all the neighbors and family know each other;
they work together in the grapefruit and lime orchards, meet at the market on the weekends,
and pray at mass on Sunday mornings. On occasions, when a special celebration is in order,
everyone puts on their best outfits and offers to contribute. A tabla (wooden platform) is
constructed for the dancing. In this choreography, after much eating, drinking, music, and
dancing the celebration reaches a dramatic climax when the male rivalries have dance off. The
deciding moment for "Who gets the girl?" occurs when one of the men takes off his shoes and
dances barefoot, a demonstration of machismo.
The musical ensemble of Apatzingan stay true to its Spanish origins: harp, violon, and guitar
Verses are expressed that are humorous statements toward the people at the celebration or to
call attention to one another during the fandango. The male costume represents what was one
the work clothes in the fruit orchards. Women's dresses of bright colors represents fiesta wear.
The fabric is light weight as the region is close to the ocean and can be extremely hot.
Apatzingan is located in the Tierra Caliente
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eG1KBFt684
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III: Jalisco - Sones del Mariachi
The state Jalisco
The state of Jalisco is the area of large ranches and the cattle industry. The emblematic
horseman (el charro) is depicted in the men’s dance costumes from this state. The large
sombrero is a trademark of the costume and is still used during the charreadas or jaripeos
(rodeos). The women use a costume that was never worn on the ranches. Its ample skirt
allows the performer to make a design with the fabric while dancing, and keep the men at a
respectful distance. The essence of the dance is courtship and conquest. Then man tries to get
close to the woman without touching her, and she does her best to fend him off but continue to
encourage him with her smile and eyes. The Mexican mariachi was originated in the state of
Jalisco, but many of the musicians sent to Mexico City in the 1920’s and 1930’s, seeing fame
and fortune in the broadcast and film industry.
The traditional folkloric dance numbers are called sones and jarabes. Born in the mideighteenth century, often under critical sanctions by the clergy as being scandalous, the son
exploded into the next century as a symbol of independence and national identity. The
burgeoning mestizo population of eighteenth-century Jalisco, developed the son mariachi as a
construct of ranch identity and Catholic morality. As a non-verbal form of expression, the
sones commented on the human condition within the Jalisco social environment. The mestizo's
struggle for survival and self-realization were expressed within the tensions and releases of the
mariachi’s tearful canciones rancheras and vibrant sones.
With time the son mariachi left its regional status and became the nationalistic symbol of the
Republic of México. In the 1930s, mariachi musicians standardized and recorded the sones in
their search for professionalism and economic stability. Simultaneously, Jalisco dance educators
utilized the early mariachi arrangements for their “school figure” choreographies, specifically the
arrangements of Mariachi Vargas. As mariachi music expanded its fame through the film and
recording industries, Jalisco’s ranch image was internationalized. By 1950, the son jalisciense
had left behind its position as spontaneous, vernacular dance music, and had reformed itself
into a performance vehicle and educational tool for physical activity and cultural artistry.
Jalisco video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5V9SrvbCNk
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ArtSPARK presents World Dance/Music: This Time Mexico
Los Lupeños de San José
El Conjunto Alegre and El Mariachi Alegre
Jarocho Conjunto DíaPa'Son - Maria De La Rosa* and friends
Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater
February 11-15, 2013
Program Notes
Bienvenidos - Welcome!
During the next hour our dancers and musicians will take you on a journey through Mexico. We
will start on the east coast in the state of Veracruz, where once the great Spanish galleons were
unloaded and their cargos transferred to muletrains traveling from the Gulf of Mexico to the
Pacific Ocean. The muleteers (los arrieros) were rugged men who distributed the fashionable
songs and dances of the era along their routes. Alter leaving Veracruz, the muletrains climbed
westward to the central plateau of Mexico, passing by the snow-capped volcanos of Orizaba
and Popocatepetl. When the muleteers reached Mexico City, they exchanged their cargos at the
central markets and took time to rest and socialize in taverns surrounding the great plazas -perhaps dancing a jota with one of the lovely ladies (chinas). Next they passed through the
state of Michoacán with its pine-forested area of Lake Patzcuaro and its rich fruit-growing
region of Apatzingan. Finally, the muletrain stopped in Guadalajara, Jalisco for a taste of ranch
life and a final exchange of goods before winding their way to the sea and ships bound for the
Phillippines.
I. Veracruz - Sones Jarochos
The eastern state of Veracruz is located on the Gulf of Mexico. It was the principal port of entry
for the Spanish during the colonial period (1650-1810). The intricate footwork (zapateados) and
women’s costumes reflect the Spanish influence.
La Bruja - El Colás - El Jarabe Loco - El Sisquisirí
II: Social Dances of Central Mexico - "Plaza Suite"
Dances of the nineteenth-century in urban centers of Mexico characterized the enthusiasm of
the new Republic, which had recently won its independence from Spain. On weekends in the
plazas, near the open markets, vendors would gather to sell their wares by calling out to
passers by.
La Entrada - El Jarabito - El Tejón - La Potranca - El Coco - La Salida
Michoacán
A. Pátzcuaro
The Patzcuaro lake area of Michoacán in Central Mexico has a strong indigenous population,
descendants of the powerful Tarascan empire. Male dancers often imitate different characters in
the dance, wearing masks to assist in the masquerade. La Danza de los Viejitos begins by
imitating the aging gestures of little old men, then turns into a rigorous dance with silly
moments to amuse the audience.
Song - Flor de la Canela (the Cinammon flower).
La Danza de los Viejitos
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B. Fandango Planeco (Apatzingan)
The area around the town of Apatzingan in Michoacan, is known for its strong dancing. The
arpa grande (big harp) is one of the signature instruments of their musical groups. This suite
characterizes a party where the typical village characters -- the young girl, her mother and
father, her fiancé, and her lover -- all become intertwined.
Rosa de Castrilla - El Jarabe Planeco - La Chuparosa - El Astillero
III. Mariachi Alegre
Jesusita en Perlitas - El Mayor de los Dorados
IV: Jalisco The state of Jalisco is known for its ranching lifestyle. The emblematic horseman (charro) is
depicted in the men’s costumes and in steps that mimic the lasso and galloping horses. The
essence of the dance is courtship and conquest, the man always insisting and the woman
flirtatiously retreating.
El Jarabe Tapatío - La Costilla - Fiesta en Jalisco - Los Machetes
Dancers:
Los Lupeños de San José
Mario Avalos Alex Corona Alredo Delabra
Marco Chavez*
Martha Garcia* Mandy Gutierrez
Christina Gil
Genesis Ibañez
Arturo Magaña*
Juan Carlos Miranda
Delia Najera
Crystal Ortiz
Gerardo Silva
Jaimee
Skyberg
Angela Szymusiak
Lalo Torres
Magdalena Vega
Karen Zaldivar
Understudies Ramón Alemán and Lupe Rodriguez
Musicians:
El Conjunto Alegre and El Mariachi Alegre
Joe Dominguéz
Ole Dominguéz
William Faulkner
Carolyn Fiori, Tom Gutierrez
Tomás Sandoval Klassen
Dorothy Morgan
Jim Taylor
Salvador "Chava"
Vazquez
Esteban Zapiain*
Jarocho Conjunto DíaPa'Son - Maria De La Rosa* and friends
Los Lupeños is a program under the joint guardianship of the Mexican Heritage
Corporation and the Cashion Cultural Legacy.
* Directors, including Susan Cashion
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