Ballet Folklorio de Mexico

Today I went to the Ballet Folklorio de Mexico in the Palacio de Bellas Artes.  It was fantastic. The highlight of my trip so far. Why you ask?  Because of the beauty and the symbolism and storytelling performed in dance.

Let me start out by telling you I was using much of my meditation experience to get the most out of the ballet.  I’ve been training myself to be in the moment. By doing this, I can see what’s really happening not distracted by what’s going on around me. I see how the performers feet move gracefully on the floor. The expressions on their faces. The way the lace dresses move on the ladies. But most importantly, it allows me to tune in to the story being told. Being in the moment allowed me to ignore all the tourists in the room taking photos, even though they weren’t supposed to. It also allowed me to overlook some freeloaders who snuck into the auditorium under the guise "that they were just simply there to see the building." Unfortunately, they were Americans and they could easily afford a ticket. Instead, they chose to rip off performers by not paying.

This ballet is an extremely expressive dance full of emotion. I saw pain and suffering, joy, humor, romance, and the love for country. I can see why the Mexican people love this dance so much.

It starts by telling the story of a constant battle the Mexican people have against oppressors. Before modern day Mexico, Mexican people fought vigilantly for their country. The most impressive scene was watching a row of lady dancers holding rifles with bandoliers as gold sachets.  It reminded me that during the battles for independence, not only did men fight but the women and children did also.  Watching the beginning was very emotional for me, because I realized how many people lost their lives for independence. Much like what’s going on in the world today, where people are fighting for their freedom.

The ballet progresses from a fight for independence into colorful and beautiful costume and cultural dance. It also has many romantic scenes where men court women. There’s a notable scene where a man and a woman are shown dancing along a scarf on the floor. While dancing, they turn the scarf into a bow signifying how a man and woman go from courtship to marriage to building a life together. It was very romantic.

Towards the end, there’s a very satirical scene where men are shown dancing as roosters. Strutting their stuff as men do, trying to be noticed. Along with the roosters is a dancing, devil signifying how some men have evil motivations. The dancing devil was comical, not taken seriously.  Although he should have been.  

Overall, it was a fantastic show and I’m glad I went.  The ballet gave me a better appreciation for the fight of Mexican people for independence.  A better appreciation for the culture, and how it has progressed over the years to where it is today.  It was very emotional for me, but also a lot of fun.