SUMMER 2019, PART 2-E: LUNES DE CERRO (LA GUELAGUETZA)

Guelaguetza is a Zapotec word that means "ofrenda," (offering). So, The Guelaguetza means the offering. And what an offering it is! Seven Oaxaca regions, 14 delegations (two from each region), five dances from each delegation and three hours of culture, emotions, and Indigenous Pride!

The Guelaguetza starts with the welcoming and acknowledgment of the Indigenous women from all seven regions and the Guelaguetza queen. This year, the queen was Afro-Mexican.with the call to arms by the Indigenous people band that marches around the stage to remind everyone that Oaxaca is a land of Indigenous ancestry and always ready for battle to defend its land, traditions, and people. It was immediately follow by Las Chinas Oaxaqueñas, which is the main delegation from Oaxaca who welcomes the other delegations and invites them to come onto the space.

After that, an announcer says what delegations goes first, and they go up onstage, explain where they come from, who they are and why are they there. They dance their dances, which tell stories of their people and their customs. It is very emotional to see "not professional dancers" but actual people from the different communities dance with pride, telling their town's stories and traditions.

Some dances are very high-energy while others are slow and low energy but all dances are done with the outmost respect and received with much enthusiasm. One of the most anticipated dances are:

 "El Baile de la Piña"

and "El Baile de la Pluma."

The most anticipated delegations is the one from Tehuantepec!

There is truly something very humbling watching not dancers but people from every region offering their art to the world. It becomes very emotional and very personal.

I mean, check out these women. They aren't young but they are there, dancing and offering their Indigenous souls to all of us watching. And all the costumes are so beautiful and so colorful.

Miguel and I had a great time and there is really so much to see that it is difficult to pick a favorite or the best moment to remember. We truly loved everything.

And so did the other 11,000 people attending LA GUELAGUETZA 2019

And we all have reason to love it... Just look at this dresses, dancers and their energy, and the reception from the audience:

NEXT: MEXICO CITY!!!

SUMMER 2019, PART 1-E: DOMINGOS DE VAQUERIAS

On our first Sunday in Mérida we found out the main city's square turns into an arts and crafts fair so we decided to stay in town for it. We also found out that twice during the day the Ballet Folklórico of Mérida presents its SUNDAYS OF VAQUERÍAS series.

According to the host, Merida has three different ballet folklórico levels. Juvenil (teenagers), Titular (Adults), and Professional (State Ballet). The first two are the ones that do the free presentations every day in Merida while the professional ballet is the one that represents the state nationally and internationally. The photos you see here are from the "Titular Ballet" (Adults).

To be part of the ballet companies, you must have some basic knowledge of folklore dancing both regional and national and also meet certain requirements. For example, to be part of the Titular Ballet (Adults), you have to

Be single
Be skinny
Be at least 5.3 (female)
Be at least 5.7 (male)
Be between 18 and 23 yrs old.
Have a "good complexion" (meaning attractive)
Be in good health
Be able to practice M-F from 8pm to 10 pm.
NO EXCEPTIONS. Y

Or you can start from the very bottom: be part of the teen ballet and move up.

The dances presented by the Ballet Folklorico de Merida tell the stories of the people of Yucatán and their traditions. For example, this particular presentation we saw was about a Maya wedding and the dances that take place as part of the ceremony.

According to the host, a Maya wedding can only be performed by a Maya Priest. And the ceremony starts and ends with different dances. The presentation of the parents, then groom, then the bride, then the witnesses... each of those are dances, and then, the dances after the wedding. Once all the ceremonial dances are done, the big "party dance" takes place.

There are two very popular dances within the repertoire: 1: Las mujeres que se pintan (the women who put on makeup) and 2: EL Torito (The bull). The first dance celebrates women's beauty with or without makeup while the second dance is about courting. The interesting thing about the bull dance is that the bull is the woman and by the end she gets to accept or reject the male's invitation to become a couple. It is a very physical dance and one that also is funny.

The image above is from the dance Las mujeres que se pintan.

The image above is from the dance El torito. 

My favorite dance, however, is the one where both women and men place a trade with glasses full of water on their heads and at some point they spin so fast that the water starts to come out of the glasses creating rain. This dance is called "El Ferrocarril" (The Train). Unfortunately, I was so into watching the dance that I did not take any pictures. Fortunately, I did take video of the dance:

NEXT: PLAYA DEL CARMNE  & XPLOR!