FEOS, OR THE UGLIES

The feos are also called the “chiles” and are costumed characters in many traditional fiestas which provide comic relief to the more serious aspects of the greater dance event.  For example, the pastorlea is a serious dance performed during the Christmas season.  Although the dance has become quite stylized it represents the shepherds trying to get to Bethlehem to see the new born baby Jesus.  Forces represented by devil characters are determined to block their way.  It is only with the help of the priest holding his cross and San Miguel with his sword that the devils are killed or transformed.   Once the serious business is finished the feos appear in unusual masks (these days there is great use of preformed rubber masks of monsters and so on) and interact with crowd to provide some comic relief.   In one pueblo which we visit often I believe the feos have morphed into a form of political theatre which is great fun for the audience.  At one event dancers were dressed as “Bush’s army” riding around in card-board cars.  They stopped to search people, always finding a weapon which they had just planted in the victim’s  pocket.
At another event all of the dancers are cross-dressed (men dressed as women as women seldom participate in the dances).   Again, they roam the streets providing entertainment but also clearly violating gender roles so that one can see that by violating the norms or customs they are indeed reinforcing them.  Don’t do what we are doing or people will laugh at you.    Here one might argue that the cross dressing is a statement about homosexuality or, if we think of it as aimed at the women,  an encouragement to stay within their roles.

Having said all of that I want to describe an event we attended recently in which there was a competition of feo dancers.   So, the dance wasn’t directly connected to a another more serious dance although at the same event there was a competition of Kurpites dancers, a dance which is indeed serious and beautiful.   I was not sure quite what to expect but to our surprise there were only one or two masks of the rubber-monster type.   The remaining 30 masks were hand made, which is not unusual, but were made of the products of their immediate environment.  The pueblo is located in a stunningly beautiful area of mountains and thick forest.  The masks were made of wasp nest, wood, bark, maguey, deer’s head, sheep’s head and more.   One dancer carried a 5-6 foot snake (recently alive) and another carried a stuffed owl holding a squirrel.

The dancer with his head down is carrying a 6' snake.

This mask is made of a section of maguey.

Now,  the punch line.  Our informant told us that the feos danced to bring on rain.   If by the middle of May there was no sign of rain, the feos would be called up.   Rain dances are not uncommon in Mexico and usually take place around Easter or in May.  I am not sure how the dance is too change the minds of the gods and let the rain appear.  Do the masks scare the gods?  Do the masks enthrall the gods so the rain can sneak by them?   Are the gods pleased by the dance and thus return the pleasure in the form of rain?   It turns out the process is similar to asking a favour of the Virgin of Guadalupe; the dance itself is a form of petition.  One can see why the indigenous peoples took so readily to the new European religion.   What we saw was a competition of dancers but the real dance of the feos would be danced during the night

LOS NEGRITOS, OR THE BLACK DANCERS

I have already talked a little about the dance of the negritos and the importance of the negrito in the Purépecha culture. Now I am going to describe the negritos of San Lorenzo. This dance is described in some depth by Essler (1988) and you might want to read that as well.
The dance occurs on January 1 and is primarily about the transfer of care of the image of baby Jesus to a new carguero. The cargueros not only care for the image but they must organize the dance and transfer responsibility in the next year. For this reason it is perhaps the biggest event in the community and being associated with the image and the black dancers appears to bring status to community members. The dance itself is substantial with perhaps 50 male dancers with masks and costumes and a few women without masks but in fine clothing and hats of rancheras. The smallest contingent of dancers were the maranguillas ( who I believe represent Mary) wearing pink masks that were very feminine and included earrings and a few short ribbons hanging part way down their backs. They also wore bright skirts and wide brimmed hats with four artificial tulips standing on top. The next group of dancers continue to confuse me. Essler claims these dancers were viejitos but the masks were pink and very feminine, some had earrings and had finely embroidered aprons that looked a little like skirts and all if not most wore blond wigs. All wore cowboy boots and jeans and carried something which looked like a short whip. All had a few colourful ribbons attached to their heads which came a short ways down their back. Perhaps all of these dancers were maranguillas. There was one dancer who wore a mask that may have represented a viejito with a mustache but the mask gave no indication of old age. These two groups were the first to appear and performed a very typical two step and on occasion danced with members of the audience. This was clearly the preliminary act.

The negritos arrived to great fanfare. They wore beautiful black masks with flowers on top of their head and colorful ribbons hanging from the head almost to the ground. They wore traditional white pants and shirts. There were only five or six of these dancers and it was obvious that they were important from the crowd, almost entirely mature men, that pushed around them. These dancers made only a brief appearance in the courtyard before everyone took to the street to begin the procession through town. Although the negritos lead the procession they were not at first visible perhaps having withdrawn to a house until the procession arrived there. The other dancers were second in the procession followed by young women in beautiful traditional clothing carrying nine alters (four women to each alter) with images of the Virgin surrounded by flowers. These were followed by community members.

When the negritos appeared at the head of the procession it was clear they were honored, not only because one of them carried the baby Jesus but because they were in direct contact with the cargueros. The negritos carried a bottle of tequilla and a basket of sweets as gifts for the carguero. The negritos had linked arms with what I took to be the chief carguero as he carried a wand representing his authority (perhaps this was this the new carguero). Another carguero was always in front giving instructions on how to make the procession and the day the best possible (was this the old carguero?). To increase the number of negritos in the procession perhaps, two or three of the other dancers put on black masks in order to be close the cargueros.

Once the procession returned to the courtyard the negritos again were absent, arriving sometime later to great fanfare. As they had through out the procession the negritos clapped their hands rhythmically as if imitating a version of African rhythm. Upon entering , continuing to be surrounds by mature men, the negritos gathered in the centre of the yard where they appeared to have a contest of rapid dancing, usually in sets of two. On occasion the carguero would invite another dancer into the group but they donned a black mask before taking on the challenge of dancing with the negritos.

A wonderful introduction to the negritos in Purépecha culture but leaving a lot mystery as to what was really happening.

TRADITIONAL DANCE AS A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

Having visited Tzintzuntzan for the fiesta del Senor Rescate at least three times I was excited to discover Brandes’ book of 1988 on fiestas and social control in Mexico. He has done field work in Tzintzuntzan for many years and this pueblo was the focus of his analysis. What had previously seemed like a Pastorela gone bad now began to make some sense to me. So a few weeks ago I returned to the pueblo to watch La Danza to see if I could find the elements he described or to see what might have changed over 30 years.

The dance was revived in 1974 and the work by Brandes comes from observations in 1977 so much may have changed. It does have some of the elements of the Pastorlea common throughout the state but there are elements that make it unique to Tzintzuntzan. There are about 100 dancers with a few specific roles. There are two to three angels all played by young girls, about 60 cristianos who dress in long white dresses, wear a long red cape with religious symbols embroidered on them. Four of these dancers are leaders who appear at the heads of the lines and have slightly differently costumes. Brandes reported that two were women and two were men but on this occasion they were all women distinguished by a high collar trimmed in fur on their capes. Then there are at least two devils who may or not be in red and at least two death figures. Finally there are an unlimited number of others in black capes and wearing monster masks. Have no fear however as the monsters and devils usually have religious symbols on their backs as well. All of this is consistent with Brandes.

The cristianos begin the dances by moving in quite well organized lines, at times going in circles and then doubling back, sometimes holding hands as they move down the centre of the field and other times appearing to weave in and out of their own lines. Brandes explains that they also make lines to form a cross and at other times weave to illustrate the symbol of the snake (a representation of evil). This part was not obvious to me but the field was so crowded, and much dust was rising, that it may have just been impossible to recognize the patterns. While this is going on the “others” danced in a very disorganized fashion around the outside of the lines formed by the cristianos and at times getting in their way. There appeared to be little interaction with the organized lines but they did interact with the audience. The younger dancers would occasionally grab a young member of the audience and try to pull them into the group or they would push a snake in their face or offer them something that looked like an attractive gift but was dangerous. Frequently these dancers would then briefly remove their mask to reveal their identity to a friend. All of the non-humans avoided human speech and only expressed themselves in shrieks. What I did not see, but which Brandes makes much of, were examples of rude behavour or even of forbidden behaviours. There were no signs of homosexual gestures or gestures of sexual intercourse. No intimations of toilet behaviour or of using their swords or scythes as symbols of the phallus. The other significant difference was that all the masks were now made of plastic while in the past the majority had been of wood.

In spite of these missing elements one could see indications of ways in which the dance reinforced cultural ideals and displayed what could be seen as the ideal behaviour. The ideal dancers for example, were organized and danced in a coordinated way while the others danced in a chaotic fashion. All of the devils, death figures and the monsters were men which says a great deal about expectations. The fact that the “troublemakers” are all boys and men may say to boys and men that the society understands their true nature but also informs them that this day is the only time this behaviour will be tolerated. It also shows that the things people fear the most – death, evil and aggression can be looked at squarely and laughed at for one day at least.

In all, however, one can see a dance of contrast: Christians and non-Christians, humans and non-human, order and disorder, culture and nature, light and dark. All of this is given religious approval on the previous night when all of the dancers walk in procession with people of the town carrying their religious image (here call the “coronitas” ) through the street and enter the church for mass before performing the dance for the first time during the fiesta.

One thing I did notice which seemed to challenge the underlying assumptions was that at least one of the cristianos, who are supposed to be unmarried women and men, was carrying her baby. Another young women had a stud in her lower lip, a sign of a wider culture creeping into the pueblo.

If you want to see more photos from this and other dances go to: flickr.com/photos/okeover

LIKE HOCKEY FOR DANCING

Two weeks ago we traveled to San Juan Nuevo in Michoacan to witness the competition of the famous traditional dance of that town - the dance of the Kurpites, a dance dating back 300-400 years. As I watched the event unfold I began to think that the experience was similar to watching a hockey game in Canada. Let me illustrate. We arrived to discover that a stage had been erected in the town plaza and temporary viewing stands built on all 4 sides. The place was crowded shortly after the beginning and by the arrival of the main event there were at least 1.000 people present. The main event was a competition between two neighorhood teams, each team with about 12 dancers. The dance has clearly defined roles: Maria, a beautiful woman (perhaps representing Mary or a grandmother), the grandfather (or perhaps Joseph) and ten young men (the Kurpites). All have wonderfully carved wooden masks and exquisite garments and all must be unmarried men. The outfit of the grandfather is the most beautiful with every inch covered in embroidery or sequins. The interpretation of the dance is unclear but in one way or another it seems to be about courtship or gaining approval to marry. Each of the Kurpites wears a beautiful handmade apron sewn by his girlfriend. Each team dances and then the two Marias dance, then the two grandfathers and finally a representative of the Kurpities. A winner is chosen and then more dancing ensues through the streets and back on the stage. So how does hockey come into this?

Many vendors move through the crowds and everyone is eating. More importantly the crowd comes equipped with noise makers and they cheer for their favorite team (or for their neighborhood). There is much applause and as the various dancers take to the stage they throw candies for the children. There is great excitement. Like hockey the dancers must practice a great deal to improve their foot work and body moves. Indeed my friend who had not seen this dance before had convinced himself that the Maria had hips and breasts and was unbelieving when told she was a man. Dancers are carefully nurtured in the community, for example the first act of the afternoon had been a dance of the Kurpites by young community members and their outfits were equally beautiful and the dancers polished. I am sure every house in Canada still has a hockey stick or two in the basement and maybe some tattered equipment. As the afternoon progressed I began to imagine that every house in San Juan Nuevo must have a mask or two, maybe an old apron or other dance items. The dance penetrates the town very deeply.
While there are similarities to hockey we see that the old dance has not been commercialized nor professionalized and the dancers dance for the status and not for money. But the dance gives the town pride through the skill of its community dancers and though the extensive involvement of the entire community. It is a source of identity and to some extent distinguishes this town from others.

While the community itself pays for much of this event there are other interesting sources of financial support I will try to talk about in a future post.

TRADITIONAL DANCE OF AJUNO, MEXICO

Another day, another chase. My wife and I are interested in the traditional dances of Mexico so are constantly on the watch for information about dances. I recently saw that there was a dance to be performed in Ajuno but not knowing just what time of day it might occur it is always a gamble. We headed out around 2:00 pm and upon arrival determined that something was up: a small midway for children (mostly consisting of trampolines and a couple of traditional rides) was in operation, a basketball tournament was in progress and lots of people were around. However, there was already lots of garbage and confetti on the ground – maybe we had missed it. We learned that it was to happen shortly. Almost two hours later the dancers appeared and watched the basketball game until there was much church bell ringing and cujetes (these are a noisy firework that is shot high into the air where it explodes). Sure enough a small procession was forming: four women in front with church banners, four people carrying the local image of the Virgin ( small, beautiful image with what looked like long human hair - this probably is human hair as women will offer their hair to the virgin as a type of exvoto), a band, 20 dancers, a small number of pilgrims and then another band for good luck. The processions went to the first corner where the Virgin was set down at a dusty and rocky intersection and the dancers gathered in front of her and the priest.

This is a small town so the costumes were not elaborate but clearly it was the dance of the Moors (Moros): They wore hats covered with flowers which rose to a soft peak, large red capes adorned with crosses, the name of the virgin and mirrors. Their leggings were pinned to jeans and they had cowboy boots with spurs attached. There was also the traditional veil that almost entirely covered the face. These veils had images of Guadalupe on them or images of Juan Diego kneeling before Guadalupe. Two young men accompanying the Virgin carried large torches and many of the audience held long candles. The men in the audience had hats in hand.

The Virgin leaves the church and begins the procession through town.

The dance steps looked familiar but I could see no pattern and am not aware of the significance of the steps. The dance of the Moors is traditionally performed for the patron saint of the town, as was the case today, or it may be done to mark the defeat of the Moors by the Christians in which case the dancers tend to wear masks and there are clearly Moors to be defeated. The dance for the patron saint is probably built on a very old dance with religious elements attached after the Spanish conquest. I believe this dance is a depiction of the conversion of the Moors to Christianity and by implication, the indigenous peoples of Mexico as well. After about ten minutes of the dancers stepping systematically and clicking their heels, they all bowed before the Virgin. According to tradition, after the procession they group must at least go into the church, but not necessarily attend a mass.

Here we can see the Virgin watching the dance of the Moors.

The group then raised the Virgin and walked through the streets were more people were waiting and the dance was repeated.

Here we are on the other side of town and the procession stops to watch the dance of the Viejitos.