Folklorico dances tell tales of Mexico's past

Rafael Babuca and Belinda Garcia of the Ballet Folkloriko Tapatio of South Tucson perform at Old Pueblo Grill.

Like mariachi music, the folklorico dances and the costumes associated with them have their roots in Mexico's regional states. There are as many dances and traditional costumes in the folklorico tradition as there are states and regions of Mexico.
Smolderingly beautiful, the romantic steps and colorful costumes tell tales of Mexico's rural past as they underscore the music's function at parties, fiestas, family gatherings and rites of passage.
"They're all just so different, and yet that's the beauty of Mexico," says former conference folklorico teacher and "Viva Arizona!" director Julie Gallego.
Most frequently seen at the mariachi conference are the traditional dances and costumes of Jalisco (the birthplace of the mariachi), Yucatan and Veracruz, as well as the norteño traditions of the Mexican states bordering the United States.
Veracruz's mix of Spanish, indigenous and African influences, along with the tropical climate, are reflected in its traditional costume.
"Slave girls wore those very simple bubble long dresses under the Veracruz dress," Gallego notes.
"That is what we wear, along with the fan from Spain. It's white because Veracruz is so hot. White shoes, white hats - everything white. I have beautiful videos of Veracruz where they have their dancers by the ocean in their white dresses. You can just feel the breeze."
In Jalisco, the men wear trajes (riding suits) while the women wear a ranchera Jalisco - the dress worn on the ranches. Decked out in ribbon (gala), the more ornate can take hundreds of hours to construct.
"Some have 200 yards of ribbon and lace," Gallego notes. "And then they can be very simple - almost peasant looking."
Though less traditionally tied to the mariachi, norteño music and dance are very important to this region.
"Nati Cano one year did one norteño number," Gallego says. "In Tucson, if you love mariachi, you still are close enough to the border to know the norteño. So when that folklorico group did the norteño, the audience went wild. They love the norteño - the polkas and all those steps and cowboy dress."