¡Viva México!

After visiting the Anthropology Museum on Thursday afternoon, Alejandro and I were trying to decide what to do that evening.  We were thinking about going to the movie theater to see "Coco"", the new Disney animated film which takes place in Mexico during the Day of the Dead.  (I don't think the movie has opened yet in the U.S.  It premiered here in Mexico shortly after my arrival in time for the Day of the Dead.)

However, as we were walking through Chapultepec Park, we saw a poster for the "Ballet Folklórico".  

That evening the Ballet was going to give a special outdoor performance for the Day of the Dead on the esplanade of Chapultepec Castle.  

The "Ballet Folklórico de México" was founded in 1952 by choreographer Amalia Hernández.  It soon became a cultural gem showcasing the folk music and dances of the diverse regions of Mexico.  For decades it has been performing at the Palace of Fine Arts in downtown Mexico City, and it has toured all over the world.  I have seen the Ballet numerous times, the first time being when it came to Cleveland when I was in college.  

We headed toward Chapultepec Castle to see if tickets were still available for that evening.  At the foot of Chapultepec Hill there was a ticket booth set up.  We purchased tickets, and we were told to be there at six o'clock.  It was already five, so we rushed to find a restaurant near the park so that we could have a quick supper.  

It was just after six when we got back to the ticket booth.  Vans were taking ticketholders up the hill to the castle.

Chapultepec Castle atop the hill

It was just after sunset when we reached the castle, and from there we had beautiful views of the city.

We lined up in front of the castle to be escorted to our seats.

Seating was not assigned, so those of us who were punctual were rewarded with the front row!  

This outdoor performance is a much more intimate setting than in the enormous Palace of Fine Arts... and for those of us in the front row it was a truly close up experience.

At eight o'clock the performance began.

I took so much video footage that half-way through the show I had to change both my battery and my memory card!

Here are a few video clips of this wonderful show.

Folk dance from the southern state of Guerrero...

One segment features the songs of the Mexican Revolution...

The "charro" performing tricks with his lariat is always popular with the audience...

My favorite part of the show is the section called "Fiesta en Tlacotalpan" which features the joyous music and dance of the state of Veracruz.

Musicians begin, and then the dancing starts...

The fiesta builds up to a frenzied climax in which the performers are dancing amidst the audience...

The famous Deer Dance of the Yaqui tribe of northern Mexico portrays a deer pursued and finally killed by hunters...

The performance always concludes with another of my favorite segments, "Fiesta en Jalisco".  The mariachi music from that part of the country is what is most frequently associated with Mexico.

Prior to the dancing the chorus begins with a rendition of the song "Guadalajara".

As an encore, a vocalist sings "¡Viva México", and that is certainly what of all of us in the audience felt after this glorious celebration of Mexican rich folklore!

A wonderful ending to all great events that have been part of Day of the Dead celebration!