Las Chiapanecas (The Women of Chiapas)  whirl in an elegant tornado of color and tradition.
© Eva Boynton

One Stage, Many Colors

When you travel, timing is everything.

In a new city, any turn down a street can bring a surprise—like my walk down calle Miguel Hidalgo in Toluca, Mexico, that led me straight into a festival lit up with color, music, and dance. This was Toluca’s third Festival Cultural, highlighting National Teacher’s Day on May 15.

A single stage celebrated dances and music from around the world, showcasing performers of traditional Mexican dances side by side with those who embraced more modern influences. The event showed how Mexico goes across cultures to form an eclectic cultural identity.

Embracing the Present

Los niños (the kids) launched the festivities with flair. In colorful costumes, they performed dance routines inspired by movies, musicals, and—in this case—music by Christina Aguilera and Michael Jackson.

A tip of the hat to JAZZ!
© Eva Boynton

Groups of performers, each from a different preschool or elementary school, garnered smiles and applause even when a child missed the cue or ran into a fellow dancer in a pirouette across the stage.

Ballet, originating in Europe and Russia, is a part of modern Mexico and
sometimes mixes with traditional dance.
© Eva Boynton

The dancers’ earnest effort, costumes, choreographed moves, and elaborate set changes demonstrated their dedication to the cultural celebration.

I had never imagined being at a Mexican festival singing along to Hakuna Matata, It’s a Hard Knock Life, and other familiar songs from The Lion King, Peter Pan, Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Grease, Chicago, and Cats.

A pause in the performance by the scary Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz
© Eva Boynton

Yet, on this day at this Festival Cultural, jazz born in New Orleans and ballet originating in Europe seemed a natural part of modern Mexican traditions.

The performances celebrated these modern-day influences, and with a nod to the younger generations, they incorporated new colors of culture into Mexican tradition.

Crossing Paths with the Past

As Dorothy and Toto exited the stage, however, Aztec dancers entered the spotlight.

A shift in cultures, for sure. But as Mexico’s danzas folklóricas (folk or traditional dances) played out, it became apparent that these dances, from 31 different states, stepped across cultures and times themselves.

Each dance told a story of its origin and time, reflecting indigenous roots, local traditions, or historical events:

• The Danza Azteca (Aztec Dance) comes from the state of Guerrero where Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor was laid to rest.

Feather headdresses and the noisy seed leggings are part of the
traditional costumes worn for Aztec dances.
© Eva Boynton

• Las Igüiris, with footsteps similar to the waltz, is a dance from Michoacán performed by women as a kind of bachelorette party. Such iconic dances have strong ties to indigenous culture since the region was less impacted by colonization.

Even the petticoats worn for this dance are colorfully embroidered.
© Eva Boynton

• During the 1800s, miners from South America migrated toward the California Gold Rush and stopped in Mexico to rest. Forms of Peruvian and Chilean dance, with their synchronous and passionate twirling of scarves, were adopted and changed by locals to create Chilena dances.

Chilena dances, like “El Toro Rabón” (The Bull Without a Tail) or “La Iguana,” 
(The Iguana) are named after animals found in the local environment.
© Eva Boynton

• Dances from La Huasteca, the southern part of the state of Tamaulipas, were influenced by its neighbors (Nuevo Leon to the west and Texas to the north), including the leather outfits that resemble the charro suit.

These dancers keep their rhythm while balancing jars on their heads.
© Eva Boynton

And because dances need music and movement, get a better feel for them from this video (5:11).

If video does not display, access it here. 

A New View of Mexican Dances

Glued to my seat, I watched the dancers until Oh, I couldn’t see much longer! My eyes were killing me, and my legs had fallen asleep. But by the time I left I had a new understanding of what happens when people go across cultures.

Little did I know that by stumbling upon this festival I would get my own education in how a place can honor its past and present with national and international influences. It was a day to celebrate the vibrancy of Mexican dances and the ever-changing nature of cultural heritage.

And that was only my first day in town . . .

Festival Cultural 2015
© Eva Boynton

The Festival Cultural was sponsored by the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (National Union of Educational Workers) as part of their efforts to encourage teachers to foster an understanding of Mexican heritage and culture in their students. 

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