An Evening of Music and Dance

I had purchased tickets so that Nancy, Fred and I could attend a performance of the world famous Ballet Folklórico on Wednesday at the Palace of Fine Arts.

We had time before the performance to admire the beautiful interior of the theater.

The stage curtain is made of Tiffany glass and has paintings of the two snow-covered volcanoes, Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl.

The proscenium arch of the stage

Looking up at the dome of the theater

The Ballet Folklórico was begun in 1952 by dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández, and is the most celebrated dance group in Mexico.  It is a joyous tour of the folk music and dancing and beautiful costumes of the various regions of Mexico.

We had excellent seats in the center section seven rows from the stage.  Here are a few photos from the performance...

The Matachines are typical of Mexico City.  They draw from pre-Hispanic traditions and dance at religious celebrations.

One segment of the ballet is of the dances from the southern state of Guerrero.

My favorite portion of the ballet, "Fiesta en Tlacotalpán" features the music and dances of the state of Veracruz.  One of the dances is "La Bamba" in which two dancers tie a long sash into a bow with their feet.

The "Dance of the Little Old Men" is a humorous dance from the state of Michoacán.

The concluding segment, "Fiesta en Jalisco", features mariachi music, the music we most associate with Mexico.  Although mariachis are found throughout the country, they originated in the state of Jalisco.

Finally, a snippet of video from "Fiesta en Jalisco"...