Big smiles and warm hugs greet me as I start another year of folklorico classes. I marvel at how tall my students have grown over the summer, listen to stories of summer getaways, and comment to parents about school happenings. I console, encourage, and coax a few of my littlest dancers who have never taken a dance lesson before. Pointing to the map of Mexico, I tell them histories of our newest dances and excitedly reveal details of our first performances.
In preparation for the first day back, I have already begun researching the regions of Mexico to present, designing the costumes, and reviewing choreographies. My dance studio is sparkling clean having swept, mopped, and cleaned mirrors in expectation of the first day back. Costumes are organized and are neatly hung in my storage room ready for my dancers to wear.
Later in the week, my adult dancers arrive carrying their dance bags filled with water bottles, practice skirts, folklorico shoes and everything needed to start zapateando. As I teach the footwork slowly and then with increasing speed, my dancers keep in pace with me. I smile brightly as I hear the clear, rhythmic sounds of the zapateado echoing throughout the room. Looking around the room I can see my life’s work. I have dancers who began at four years of age and now are in their teens, adults who have danced with me for years, as well as newbies who are very enthusiastic.
I teach the rhythmic sounds of the zapataeado following in the footsteps of my own dance teachers, continuing the legacies of their teachings, and sharing the histories of our ancestors. A small tear peaks out of the corner of my eye as I become a tad emotional. For I am a Folklorista, one who endlessly loves her students, and shares her talent with all.
By Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ph.D. My newest writing project is a bilingual children’s book called Todos a Bailar! A Folklorico Alphabet Book. Pre-orders are available with Del Alma Publications by clicking on the link below.
As Folkloristas it is essential that we conduct our own research on the dances that we present while making efforts to learn new choreographies. There are so many things we can do to enhance our cuadros (choreography) by conducting our own research.
Search your own Dance Library
I often start my research at home scouring my home library for materials that I may need before teaching a new cuadro to my students. In it I have some classic texts that I always reference. (See my blog posts: Folklorico Books for Every Folkloristas Collection and Summer Reading for Folkloristas of All Ages). I also keep materials from any workshops that I have attended. I have all my eleven years of monographs from the Asociacion Nacional de Grupos Folkloricos (ANGF) conference which I always rely on for more information on costumes, music, history, and dances. I try to get different perspectives from scholars by reading materials from authors written during different time periods. So, for example I may read an article or book from Frances Toor to see her perspective on Veracruz dances during the early 20th century. Then, I may dig into something written by a current folkloristas by referencing my ANGF monographs.
Reading a Book
Look for out of Print Materials
I am always searching for copies of out of print materials. I usually review books available on amazon and visit used book stores for copies of books that are no longer in print. When they are for sale at a reasonable price, I buy them immediately. However, many rare books are not sold today. So, I often visit a university library. First, I utilize the on-line database called world cat. (https://www.worldcat.org/ ). This is a database for researchers. I log in and mark my hometown libraries as my favorites. For me, my favorite library is the University of Texas at Austin (UT) Benson Latin American Library. I search their database by submitting a subject, title of book, and/or author. This database searches for libraries all over the world to tell me where I can find my book. Then, I make a list of all the books and archival materials that I will need. Be sure to look for books, newspapers, monographs, videos, music, photographs etc. I e-mail the librarian in advance to let her know that I will be visiting and to ask for books that are in storage. You might be able to check out the books if you are part of the alumni association of the university or you belong to a library book lending program. In Texas, this is called Texshare and I signed up at my local public library. With this card, I am able to check out books from participating libraries all over Texas.
Books on my BookshelfBooks and More BooksMore Books
Collect Oral Histories
I know this is so difficult to do
because we are often working full-time and teaching dance but when we talk to
people and get to know their perspectives…the rewards are endless. Meeting with
people who danced, choreographed, or taught these dances and getting their life
stories is so important. Sometimes, if I am unable to meet with anyone in
person, I will begin a search on google and look for articles, news clips, on
the people and places of the region that I will be presenting. Better yet, go
out of your way to visit museums, libraries, and attend festivals in the United
States and Mexico.
Watch Folklorico Concerts
One way I get inspired is to watch
folklorico concerts of dance groups in Mexico and the United States. I pay
close attention to the ways in which they use lights, props, backdrop, musical
cues. I even notice the choreographic formations, costumes choices etc. This
gives me ideas on things that I would do differently or keep the same.
Visit Mexico
If possible, visit the state or
region that you will be presenting. While you are there, watch their dances, meet
the people, soak in the culture. This is vital.
My Thoughts
These are just a few ways that I research a cuadro before I present a suite of dances. I am sure that there are many other ideas. How do you research your choreographies before presenting them on stage?
Photos courtesy of Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia
Copyright, 09/01/2019, Mendoza-Garcia
Gabriela Mendoza-García Ph.D. is an Artist and Scholar. She has her own dance school and company called the Gabriela Mendoza-García Ballet Folklórico in Laredo, Texas. Dr. Mendoza-Garcia founded this group in 2013 and teaches children and adults of all ages. Her company consists of seasoned folklórico dancers with years of experience performing this art form. She teaches traditional Mexican folklórico dance pieces, as well as, works that are inspired by her scholarly research. Her scholarship includes: Dancing throughout Mexican History (1325-1910),History & Folklore booklet with an accompanying documentary sponsored by the Webb County Heritage Foundation, The Jarabe Tapatío: Imagining Race, Nation, Class and Gender in 1920s Mexico published by Oxford University Press, an on-line blog, writings for Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos, and others.
Mestizo folk music was born from the blend of the Indigenous and Spanish cultures in Mexico. In the seventeenth century, a new variety of generic song and dance, the son (peasant song) appeared. (Scholars today acknowledge the son as having mestizo, Indigenous, and African influences). As the son became popular, those sones which were native to a particular locale were called sones de la tierra. By the nineteenth century, sones were identifiable as typically Mexican. Sones are popularly sung and danced throughout Mexico. The huapango, the jarana, the Chilean son, the son jarocho, and the jarabe are all sones which stem from the Spanish zapateado steps, dances, and music. Most sones developed from Spanish peasant or rural music. A son differs from other music in its “form, rhythm, choreography, and textual content.” Its characteristic “unequal triple rhythm” is based on “patterns of six beats.”
Dancing to a Son Independent couples dance sones, many of which are distinguished by the rapid action of the feet in a zapateado. The zapateado serves as accompaniment to the music when the rhythm of the dancers’ feet produce percussion-type sounds. The zapateado’s percussive accompaniment and many of the melodic instruments, such as the violin, stop while the lyrics of the son are sung. A zapateado produces its sound by the fast stamping of the feet on hard ground or on a raised wooden platform called a tarima. As “one of the universal traits of the son,” the zapateado is also a particular kind or type of son. Many of the sones from southern Mexico which are accompanied by marimba music are generally known as zapateados. Many of these belong to the repertory of sones de marimba or sones istmeños.
Lyrics of a Son Lyrics for sones are usually written in rhyming couplets with eight-syllables in each line. The son usually opens with a dedication of the performance either to the gracious audience, to a particular important individual in the audience, or to beauty in individuals or in nature. The couplets of the sones often weave colorful tapestries of men and women in love surrounded by the beauties of nature. Malageña, a love overture to a girl from Malaga in Spain; Petenera, a tragedy about sailors set to unusually lively rhythm; and Indita, a description for the passion of Indigenous women are three typical sones that are appropriate for singing only. In this book, Martinez-Hunter continues to describe the different types of dances that sones are performed to. These include the chilena, huapango, son jarocho, jarana, and the jarabe.
My Thoughts
The sones and jarabes are still popular even today in the 21st century. We dance sones and jarabes from the states of Nayarit, Tamualipas, Jalisco, Veracruz to name a few. A few of us living in the United States even create our own choreographies to the sones of Mexico.
Photos courtesy of Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia
Copyright, 10/14/2018, Mendoza-Garcia
Gabriela Mendoza-García Ph.D. is an Artist and Scholar. She has her own dance school and company called the Gabriela Mendoza-García Ballet Folklórico in Laredo, Texas. Dr. Mendoza-Garcia founded this group in 2013 and teaches children and adults of all ages. Her company consists of seasoned folklórico dancers with years of experience performing this art form. She teaches traditional Mexican folklórico dance pieces, as well as, works that are inspired by her scholarly research. Her scholarship includes: Dancing throughout Mexican History (1325-1910),History & Folklore booklet with an accompanying documentary sponsored by the Webb County Heritage Foundation, The Jarabe Tapatío: Imagining Race, Nation, Class and Gender in 1920s Mexico published by Oxford University Press, an on-line blog, writings for Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos, and others.
Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ballet Folklorico 