12 The Ballet Folkl6rico de Mexico

and the Construction of the

Mexican Nation through Dance

SYD N EY HUTC HINSON

The nation is a shppery, insubstantial concert-an "imaginrd com munlt(. in the words of lkned1ct Anderson (1991). Yet il is also a powerful svmbul thai is oommunie>~ted -.a an ideologlc>ol discourse present in a variety C:C medaun15, including the arts. In the past decade. many sagrllicanl works ol ..J\obrship ba'e expanded on ~I) concqJt. arguing tNt 1.11 most nalle®l prOJ ~ts raoe also plays a signahar.t role (Appdba~tM, Macpherson. and Ro~­bl&tl 2003, Omi and Wor. n11994). 1he con~<tlon is dearty c•;,dent ln taun A-rica, where the concept of mtsli:A;~. ooal mlxm(!. has played a sign. licllnt role In nationalisl discourse throoghout the twcntkth century In the case of ~te>.ko. numerollS scholars have examined the roles I hat film.lhe visu(\lam. literatul'i', and music 'la~ pl3ycd in na11011alist and ooal proJects(~>«. fO< aample. Her.hfidd 1999: Sommer 1991). A fe-w "01'.:. """" ~o discus~ the cor~ne;;tioru bdween dance a.nd cultural oaoonah;m in ~te-nco aoJ among Chicanos in the United S·at(S (Najera-Rarnlrcz •9119; Toruaada Quiro' 19~ 1000). llowever. in spite of these authol'$' contributions. dance contmun to play a marginal rolt In mo.t d~>cussions of Latin '-merican nationalisms.

Nestor Garda Canchni ... ·mes. "Although Meld<:() has a poreotlaterntur~. lt> cultural profile was noc pnmarlly erected by writers.. the cooservatlon and cdebration of patrimon)'• ats ltno"redge and u;c, IS bas~C~IIy a ~'lSual opera­do:{ (JooL. 168) If this IJ true, rurtl)' dance mliSt play a central role to oor arW;'51soilhe construruoo of the Merian oat10n. Dance also communicates primarily through the sen~>e of vision bilL it reache> a larger audience than many visual art• be<:nuoe of ih spectacular nature; it is also more po ... -erful

THl IA\l l- f0lKL6 1 CO 0( ld XICO • 207

becall5t lO ar.J!Jly participa1e .n at3nd thus "ftc!" ots nl<.sage Th.. dupler w:ll tMrdore focus on how dMlCe has heeo used to construct the Mexican nation • well a.s •Mcxicanncss" In the United State5 lhroug.\ the specific example ol the l~allet Folklorlco de MexiCO (BI'M) and Its far-reach tog inOuencc.

Dance is an Important means of constructing and das.o;emlnating Images of racr ~nd natton IL reaches perhaps a brooder audlm.:e than any ocher form of art, part=l.ar.y o tbe form of the oattonal folkloric dance con;parue• that hA\'t rroliferatrd lhroushoot Latin Aruma llnce the 19-105.1 The Bal· kt f'olklclra.;o de M6uco is one of the earlae>t formed and most innueotial d ·hc.e companaes. S:nce it • inception in •952.. It has been closelv tkd to Mc~lco's politie-.ol intere;ts and policies, first as an official organ c~nnccted t&l the Department oflourism and later as an lndepeodent interest that ...,rthcless .... -.u officially fa\'oned as a rcpreseotali•c of Mexican tul!Un' at llornc: &nJ abnlld. Amaha Hernandez. the compan),.s .:re<~tor, .... a metl\· 'ber (1 ' Mc~oco Cirr's poi.olJcal elate, the daughter of a re"'lutionary general IDC one tim~ llla}W olthr dty, and was dcrp1y lnOurnc<d b)' and Involved ... r •ISire\'Oiutaonary romnnlic nataonalism. She "as nol the first Ill take an In terest In rtgional donee. nor "'as she the lirst to ouempt a theatricol Jll'e'Cnlation of ~1ex:ico folk dance. Yet Hern:lndez wns i:>v far the most sue -.tul r ropooent of theatricAl folk da.'lce In Mexko. ~ost likelv becau<e lhr so e!fectivd-f lD1qlrated offin.U discour<e · of mtSrr:;;,je and mdit<IUSmo (IDda~rust:l mro an ae tbctically appealang for:nat.

Mesrlzaje In Motion: Racial Ideologies and National Folk Dante In la tin America

Ia ulan America, theatrical pre.entations of lradltlonal, regronal dances ~t F!'Oiifcrated since the 1950S Writing of Dal1011ahst mllSical projects in Lati • .'-mer ca. Thomas ThrtnO explains that II" spite o( t..l,e diEering local a>lkl•t •lllHbotled to populiit projects J.O spe.:.tlk Lat n A~racan countries, lbry t.;:,ur close togflher In tlme and produce very simalar musi.cal resul~ lllggcotmg common undl'rtyang models, motivations, and cau~· (1003, 170). A .:entral motivation, he further explain~. was the need ro creat e large ~and a mass of con,Jme.r citizens in order to ach.e"" ~onomlc as wdl .. r •>hrical indq>endm,e. I argue !hal oallonalist dttce proJeCts= subject 10 'lmt ar pro..~. bull sugsestlh>t race and -acial ideoiDg~es aJsu playa cent ,..l role. Th« id<.'ology o! mtst iZIJ)l and the prollferatio!t of naJional rolk dan_. <ompaoie. wer, both crltkal in tb~ nation bualding proces u of tbt PDst.uloni.U period.

108 • SYDIO EY HU TCH IIOSO N

At ~ot, me.st>~is a conteotiousissutamongscbolan.eYnl as it coo­tir.ues to pi•¥ an important role 1.n popular concq>tioos of natwn In Lat,n Amenta u wet; as amoog some Latinos in the L'nitrd States. In Ma~co. fo• IOSIW«. itluslong~n thought that the mixofSpanlih and lncban biology and cultu~ ~the country a u.-tique identiry. Ooeoft-repeated on gin myth traces the beginr.ung oft he Mexican people to the btrtb of~lartfn Cortes u1

1521. As the sou of !be Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and the A1.tec princas Malintdn, "La 1\.fullnche." Martm wns the first mestizo and thus the first Mexican ( Krauu 1997, 51). Ounng the twentieth century, mestiz11~ "'IS Ill thecenterofn;ouooalist discour>t w r 1910, when )cs:oSLerra proclaimed that •,.e ue the children of two tuhons, of two races •.. this fact domina~ our whole -.4tory; to 11 "e OW\! our soul" (c1kJ in Krauze 1997. so).

Howner. 5in~ the 1g;os revlsiomst scholars have argued that mcst1tDit and related Ideologies are "insld,ous ruyths" t hat only mask discrln11nation and prejudice (1\pptlbaum, Macpherson, and Rosemblattl.OO), 9). 11or In· stan~. m her important study of early Latin Amencan national romalle<$, Doris Sommer n otes that, wb1k mrsllu1)t has bteo "practically a slogan for many proJeCts of national consolidation." 1LS use as a rbetnncal de~oke in nm.ds of;en serves u a S)'Dibolic "pao6cotion of-in ~words. a means of placing value judgment> and upm.mg domination m.n cer1ain grourr (1991, u). And Robin Sheriff and other students of Bruil.m ncial pol.tKS Ju,.., cri1icized that nation's ideoiOS)'of d<ttKJCrtJO>tl •aaa! (racial dtmocniC)I u a "my tifying" ducour~ that "prevents the da-dopment of social mov~­

menl*"tlut might expose racum and oppre 1011 (Sheriff "-001, )OJ. Indeed, the symbolic inc lusion of minority groupstn nationalist racial diSCClurs~ and in uernu such ns nat iotul folk doJICC hu done little to alter the political and economic clrcumSiaocrs of disenfranchised populat•ons in Latin .-.merlca. AI the same tirM IS histonan Enrique Kl"olUU bas noctd, mestttaje is nstly p~f~roble tn the e>.termioatlon of Indians that oocurred throughout much of the 1\ew World, and "it u one of Mnico's mo;t origJOal contrbations to the soc1al and moral history of the Wellem world" (•997· ;;).

In short, mtsriza~ can be viewed ID one of t.,.,·o "-ays. In the words of anthropologill Peter Wade, it is either a "democrat1c process leading to a symbollc of racial harmony" or · a rhetot1cal Oourlsb that hides racist and even cthnocidal practices of whittning" (Wade 1003, 163). 'I hough outside observers tend toward the latter view, many Chicano scholars and writers prekr the first -.ne1v and offer a more pet'OOal take on the subj«t Among that commumty it hu insp;ted works of art from Glooa Anz:althia's poetrY to Amado ~1. Pefla lr's silks<:n~ns. Many Latin Americ:an goo.erntnrnts M'"'

T~ l ULLtT fOLK16~1CO DE M ( l!tCO • 109

tbO chosen to promoce the po5itive v ew of 'fii!Stizaje as a process that can poc!..crnational uo 6..:ation. Assuch,lht . .ka hasofun p!aytd acfntral role

the ..-k-ction of -national" dan= and m~<~lc thro"Jghous the A :ntrlc&$. the llorrirican merengue to~ Bru.ihan S<~mC.•. the Colombian rum-

to the Venezuelan jrtropo and tamunangur, particular styles= ch01.en ~~ec.w;elllc)' are seen as symbolic of the partiCular ract- mixture that formed

na~ion.

In Mexico. muriach1 music was chosen in the e-Miy po5tre~~olutionary pe .. the best rq-resent~tion of Me>.JCan national culture (J;\uregu 1990,

aoo6 ). 1hls rmmc from Mt:Da>'; cenlral wtSI region in and around the oil• JSCO I> ofien c1ted as an eumple of "'esr•u~. comblllllll! European

IIIIJrunltnLS bl.r violin and guitar with Me1ican creations!.-~ !be f1<rr11rr6n .armtv'lS .:on•idered bach Mexican and Sp;.moh in origin. 1 Accordingly. a

dance "'ali sdecled tbat 1S as>OOa:ed "'ith this muSic and this region. ~·6c•ll ly. the "Jarabe tapatlo" or "\1exicgn llat Dance.- first performed ~Mexi<:o City ln 1790, banned in 18oa. revived under the rule of hmpuor lll!ILIIlilllan (Bruno Ruiz t9S6. 47-48), and rnppropriated u nationalist

m !be ~luuonary period the Jara/N'i fl)fmat and cnsiUrnicg make diocounc of mtui~ fnnher al'l'utnt For example.)lln;bn are those

-P <r..ucombine bit. of =ny other "l<<g:s \Ofitn Europno n ot1gin) mto l6Liino<:tlvMex1can whole and ue IL.n..<J w1th a foot-stompmgupateo or llplka,.Jo. The female costume typ1cal of this dance is the rhi"" poblana,

H•lu-.·e originated ,.,th a k1dnapptd Ch II<$C princess who mixed lltlllipf• ne sluwll Chinese embroider;, and loca Mexican styles The male, llltPt>•llly ponm;·ed as ·a man of the pueblo, wtth no special out6t" (S.~ Idlvar

sl. later adopted the cllllrro suii drscri~d by a 19sos schohu of Mexican il> 'an unmi<taltable s1gn o( American mestlu¥• (Bruno Ruiz 1956. 48), th~ nyle was IDlllally worn by Spanish grntkmen in Jalisco, h<~WC'cr, ~ t•• m<><e truthfully rtprt-cot a wealthy European her11a~ Later a

'VJ!t' ot women's foiJMnco dress was chosen to match the men·~ up •n= the Adthta COIStume. nameJ ior the revolutionary wldtldtruJ

adopted thi• high r.eded coloo.al Clr<•S o(Jalisco.• !l.lar.zajt was promoted tbrough other arts besides r.tusic and dance, t\Tn

pmlcularl)·) in t ~e «high" arts "-'1lh which Amalia Hem~nde1. an edu· urban.tt, would no doubt bt fumll lnr. 8eginnmg in the 19105, vmwl

lltistsfO<:~on producing art that would beacces<lble to largenumbtrsof the geMral rulllic. Lhe ioilJatioo of the Mexican mural mo,Tment,. credited

k>~ V&><on<elos, "'"<>was secrelJiry of education in t~ earlr 19WS and ClllnmtS>1oned t'te •Bi! Three· (Rntt .. OrUUX>. and Su1uoros) and othm

110 • SVD'I[Y ltUTCHIMSON

to pa otlvge works in public bdililings. IIWI)' ol "'-hlch promoted the ideol­ogy on a monumcotal scale. Va..<.:on..:tlos a:W c:stahlisbed cultural nussioos throughout ! he repubhc where folk d~nccs 'vere collectrd and d1~onatcd

((I t tducJtional purposes (N~Jcro·Ranmcz 1989,19). But Vasconcelo u. bost k.10"'ll a~ the author of LA raza c6sm/ca, tl1e 1925 book extoUing the virtues of the mestizos. or tbe "cosmic race~ l he Ideology of me.stlzaje thut Vasconcelos preached became the dommant poradlgm for Mexicans' understanding of tbcor own r.a.daliz.ed oatioo Dur nglhe next two decades. the concept and l:~ erper1enct of ml!$lizoJ• Corned t'le basis for DO\"ees hkc Vayar h940) br Miguel Al1gel Mmenck-z, ... tu.e fi.m. loU A1L1 en t1 rr:tr~.ho gmruk ( 193;) and Aj/rtiiSCO. 110 te raja (1~8l d •scrn1nated romantiazed 1magcs ofla.JSro and Its mariachi music.

1bough lntSiiZil)ewasthe dominant odcology of the time, durmg the 1930> a counterpart to it was elaborated. This ideology, kno"·o as mdige11ismo, tir<t appeared during the pre<ldcncy of the populist Ulz.1ro C:lrdenas, who championed Indian nghts. Sub<equent presidenu shifted priorities from social to e'onomic progttSs. and .cholars came to beli~e that tbc country's .argc lnd an population would n~ to be studitd and incorporated into the rnainslrcam 10 order for Mexico tom~ !Orv;ani Th.IS. on th~ 19•os. govcrnment-empiO)-ed anlhropokl@ 'ts liU l>hgud Gamio $trc~ tbc po.si· th·e In Me"<ico's Indians, creating a romanticized image that could >ef\t as a bas!< for a national ideotil)• while 51 ill encouragmg racial m1xing. Gamio wroteofthdr "beautiful and epic ll adltlon• and "high example• of ethics and aesthetics." urging Mexicans to preserve Indian arts and to take lnspirntion from them (Doremus 1001 383-8~). AI the same time, the ultim31e goal of Gam1o and other anthropologam 1vas !101 to presuve Indian autonomy but to integflltr them into a "'>Oiid patriotic union" (Knight 1990. 14).

lndlg<nisrr.o also found its charnp1ons in the arts, as romant ... nationalli! wor~ "'<re created to a vanety ol med1a. Carl06 O:.wn composed "-orb like tbc Sitifom;zl11d1a (193S 36) wh1ch used mdigmous melodies from So· nora and Nayarit. and Xoclupflll (1 940). which used ind1genou. percussion to ere at~ "an unagin.td Allee music" (Del par 2000, 56:1). Novcls like f.l indio (19\5) by G~no L6pe1 y Fuentes focused on lndmn communities, and pam lings by Frida Kahlo such IU Stlfponrait as a Te/wann (19~3) celebrated Image~ of I!Kiian women. In mm, /Udes ( t934), Marla Carrddlllia ( 1~3), and other> told stories of Indian," llruggle• set to na:ionallstoc m~o<oc, though the) tended roward ooe-d .rrensiooal depictions of tbc "nobk soavage" Tht laner "·as the work olEmiho "EI Indio" Femanck-z, "ho dcpt<tcd ~1$ vision of"~uth~ntk national identity'" by tying together Mtxicos p.st and pc~l

fHE IALLET r OLUORICO 0 [ MbiCO • ~JI

t Utlush romanlldzed portr~yals of lndtan duractaS-usually played by hght-Jurncd ad\lfi {Her<..hfdd 1999· 87).

By rbctorocall)· proooting I~ d:li".tyand rights ofMeDCo'>lndiilllS. •ltdi­f"' iJmO a~artd to contradicllhe "melting pot" ideology ol mest!Uljt that cf!ectlvcly erased indigenous cultures. But in realit)' tbe philo•orhy repro· ducoxl racist assumptions by contlnu ong 10 promote belicl'on innate. pnmordial characteristics thatdifferenliatcd ludl11ns from Europeans (Knlght1990, 87). In addotlon, indigenismo was alw~ys o view imposed from ...-iLhout- by white or m( Lila intellectuals cl.!ling their gaze upon poor, indtgenous \<lc:dcans. F« c-xa'llple, great tbi.nkcn of the t.me Ukc Agusdn Y!OO -.nd Luis VUioro 8dor'.td and c:xpanc!ed an ~e anthropol<lg~SU' ;&as, but b)' tendmg to empha­liM pre Hosj)QO!Ccul~ !Myofttn "!Udcconlemporar)' ondlg<'IOUlcuh:aes OlpP«t onadcquat~ (Dormnu 1001 187). ~urban mt!SilrOS ldopttd an Clicn onorc extreme 'lnd1anost" po<.tion 1hese "parlor k::r.cdfiiO$" roman­tlcl7cd ancient Me:dcan cultures and wanted to rid Mextco of loreogn influ­ences (Knight t990, 81), yet the result 0,015 the same: a vencr~toon of Mexico's pre Colombian past bot continued Ignorance about its indigenous p~ent.

-''onalla Hemandez drew frorn all these ideologic:s-mestiZ<~jt, inti•gctlismo, romantic nationalism-and thetr corresponding a.nisllc e:xpress1ons ~ creattd Lv BaJlct Folk!Orico de Mb:ico. She was clear!) ~member gcncrallan of Mcdio Siglo." •• Enrique Krauzc call. th~ o.r.ttllcctnals

of the 19505 and 196os who ~ inil~nced by tbe progre,.,, . ., -sume ol th~t name. This generation wu com min«! to on·oluhon .. ry nationalism and "looked for 'Mexicanness' In colonial and pre-Hispanic hi>tory and in lhc phenomenology of everyday life• (Krauze 1997· 651). Amnllu looked and scconed to find lt all around, since she believed that music and dance were a "way of llfe" for tbe Mex:ican people, something she expressed In on~ of the

. ... :...., films on tbe company. Plaa of lht Plumed Supent ( 1960s). tn.frgtnimtO is apparent in Amalia', many lnchan-tbcmed choreographies.

wluch trom 1961 to 1983 trr callycorr.prised four to six out oltbe nine or 1m lkm> on each program. SM chOI't'Ographed Sinfcma rr.:ba after the Olhu ""'kin 1946, and to return, Chavo:z watch«! her devdopmcnt d osdy and offtred advice.' The later "ork "Danza del venado" (Deer Oaoce), one of the compnn)''s slgnaru re pieces, 18 loosely based on a traditional dance of the P~ent-day Yaqui Indians of Sonora (this dance will be fur1hcr exnmoned lwluw), and "Los tarascos• depicts the indigenous people of the Lake Pdtzc­IUro reg1on. But many of the$e pieces are modernist choreographle$that Hanandcz b.tscd not on hoJng tnditJonS but on pre.Colombian artWOrk. In ., official poblication, such ~cs are classified u "pre· Hlipanlc" (Aguirre

1U • IVOOI£Y HUTCH INSON

and Sq:ura 1994) although they ore actual!)" Amalois inttrpreutions of wll<lt anCJent dances may h~1-e looW like based on depiction~ in codtces, arch it« · tural ruons, or cerllmocs' Descriptions of such dances t~pkally emphasized Am~lia's meticuloo> research on pn-Colombiao sources, but could differ Slgfliticantly bet"'~•n lin@li.sh and Span.•h language prognJnS. For enmpk, Los lu;cn dd sol was ad\eruscd in£ngji.sh a> an a.;tual set of"andent Aztec rituallbtlces. dating back to tht thtrteenth and fourteenth centurits,.., whole In Spanish it 1vas only J. "presemutoon based on how pre I lispanoc celebra­tions rould have bc<rt In reality"' (emphasis mine).

' I hough poses and cosmmes vary <kpendlng on the ctvo i1.lltlon depicted (Aztecs, Maya.>. and Olmt.:s ha~ all bt<!n subj«ti fur Am;oloa). ccrta:U fea. rurcs art oo:nmon. Her romanticized I'ISIOIU arr Stt to newly oo:n~ music stmtlar to Ol~ve>:'s ondigenisl-..orks and play.:.! on •A7tec" mSirumcntslike reponati/J dJ'um, flutes. conch trumpet , and leg rat1les. Th• dancers main· ta.n ,..,.ious expre•sions and stiff, regal postures throughout upholding tht stcreOI)l>ical inl<lg• of th• stoic, mcbncholy, yet noble Indian. 1 ht oompao~ tnus servts ro furthtr th• !llori£.ca11on of MUICO's Imperial Indian pJ.St b) focus.ng on .Utec, Mayan, ..od Olroee myths and monuments, "bile con· tloulng to marginalize modem-day lndigenous groups by largely excluding tl1em from representation

In spote of the l::arge nuonbcr of mc/Jgtnislil piec~ ln the BF.\1 repertoire. theetntralil! of mut:za}'! to M=ro's Image both at home and abroad i.suo mad• dear b)· ao anal~•it of the company'• programs and self prosm,.rion. For one, Amaha self-idtntifie, as a mestiza aod •dallllS tO celebnte bodl htr Spanish and Indian heritagts in her choreognphy" (Shay 1001, 89 ). A 1964 magmnc article descrlbtcl her as "hulf lndian, half Spanish, and aristocrat .... A French p<O@ram ~nt <o far as to st•te ·Amalia Hem:indtt is a pure Me:cian. her ance>tors dtSCcnded from a t:rilic from the cenual rut of Mcsicn.-•

1h• d •coui'S<! of mwlta]<! is further played up m the oompaor'• pobhc rdntions m&Lerials and program;. The fi lm P/aa oftl:• Piwttrd Scrpcm opens by panning around thel'lan ofTbret Culture, at the center of Mexico Cit)·· ·[he camera moves past tho excavation of an Aztec temple woth a Catholic cathtdral loomina~ bdl od it •nd tnds woth a focus on a pb que noting th< solt\ tqlresenbtion ot the •pamiul btrth of mestizo Mcu.:o.· \loro rectnt.)· the company's coff~ table book tel!. readers, "As the ~lcxtcan penpk- th• product of miscegenation, so is their artisttc expression: the f1>rmaleleganc< of 1lS Indigenous bistory with its exquisite Asiatoc nature. th• sporued lmpctu> of tlS Spanish past and tho syncopated, pai,ful rhythms of Afroca trarupurtcd to 11> .:onsts. All arc r..rt of the ~tZO culture tll<lt os \lcxko todar" (Agu irre and Segura 199~. u6).

THE a AuET rOLKL6ao co 0 1 Mtxoco • 213

Ill M p<O@rams typJcall)· f~arure four or fi1-e items focu• ng on mestiro ..,_. .. These include rct~oonal dances of Mochoacm, Tamau.lpos, Veracruz, )llao. 7~allecas, Guerrero, und Yucatan. ('I hough the Yucatlln Is usually con­lldcred • more IndW'I region, BF)Il p<O@raDIS emphasize the combination of J4ayanand Spraruh idlu•ncos t."om.) A t)'Pi.:al program note on "Sol1t!S anlo _ .. .:e ~ichoocln" explains. It iJ in the me>tizaje of the indlgtnous and tilt

f lo.., is~ ,.·here one will find one of the os~ntoal trans of the Mexican people ...,,Jie series of cxpl'tS~oon~ are colorrd by tbclr own, vigorOIJS style."'' 1he discourse of '";:stoz,ojc is also espoustd though I~ obviously, throogb

rrsiMal dr•moc:. of th• company's reportoire. In his c1hnogrsph} of the f'as(l O.odad JWrcz bordtr area. Pablo Vi a argt;t> that for llWIY Mcxo

rrgoon~l dJSCour .. is used a. a euphtmi.sm to replaco c1hnic Of' racial •:our.es (lOOO, a6). For example, tho•• from central and >OUI~iem Mexico,

If< darker-ski11nC<iand more "Indian." are often contrA>tt<l with thost the north, an arc:a oon~idered rdauvdy untouched b) mntl:a)t, through

-~~n.. ;tereotypts of !outhtrn luint>S o~.nd b.cb.rardnoss. I bi'U...-e thai tq'Crto.rtofthe Balkt FolkiOricocan alsoht road in this way The BFM's

$C.J\It"'ir program confirms the company'• acceptance of the sttreo· <quation of the South (or the lndoaD) "ith namrt ~ tht past, and

N<-rth (or tbe Hispanic)"' ith progress and tbe future: "the South know; t1· Jream of the beiuty of natwce. ofthe btauty of tbt art that hnks us to

P••t. one feds proud of its hcredible 'Ustory. but the 1\orth tfidla us tllm: '' a ·u:utt to be conquertd" (BFM 1968). 1bc BFM thus dlooscs th• aiddk ~round t mpha$i1lng the mt!!U:tn center on accordance woth official llltlanalm do•course. hcept for the polkas of the "Revolution• suite and tht

dttr dance, oo d3nces of the predon1.nantly whttc northern states like lljl ( •liiomia.Sonora. or Chihuahua are performed. whiledanc•s from 1M

wuth. hk.e tho.e of Cbiapas and the Yuc•tan. are only cx<:J.Siooally •::.tucled. lht audimcos fo..us •• tnstead dirtcted to the central (principally IIOrtb central) rrgioo " 'bere mtstWJje has bttn practiced morrsuccossfully IDd looger· to the lluasteca region, to MichOGcln, to Verocroa. which a lwnys

the first act, and of course to JaliKo. which providosth piflata-breu· fc>,ll·stomping. h•t w.>Vmg grand finale.~ At the SJ.mt tllm, tl~ political

ae ••,cofthefoc..son Jal,<coas thtceruer of muti;a_jemust be quostiot\N. lor une, ·he lal&-an tmage rtiJes on stueotyptd gender roles-those of the ~lant• clmrrosand "coqutttosh" women, as one progrum descnl>td thton." In addotooo, this tS probably the "Whitcot" nate of Mexico's ctntral region. and lb European roots ~rt emphasized through the cho1ce of ·h• gontlemanJ; cll.a,., co,rume and · h• ovontual sded 1.)1' of 1M lllgb-ntdttd. £uropea.'\· drm,J "-\delta" dres; for d;anc• performance o-..,- the doma polllamz.

~~~ • SYD~lY HUlCH I ~SOH

Amalia He rn~ndez: Blograpnlcallssues

Because work. of art are ~er producfd £= oi the tofluence of personal br.ls and ind·vM!ual ex.pn•ence, 11 Will~ useful to brieJiy CWIW~e the biograph)• oi 1M creator of the BaDet Folkl6nco de Mmco. .<\malia Hemiodez. Her story bas been wtdely dis:saninatfd through the compan)-'s pre.s materials and reprinted 10 countless ~-spaper re\~ Tbesc dtlkr ooly $1ighd)' from one another and ah•'il.ys emphasile certam key features. The IOIIOWI"'! \(!'$ion is a representative one that! have talen principally from 1M offictal"cof£« table" book of the Ballet Folkl6rico (Aguirre and Segura 1994)

Am~lio Hern~ndez wns born on September 19, 1917, in Mexico City Iter mother w·.u a schoolteocher and her father o "prominent mihtary and politic-.11 figure of the day• (Aguirre and Segura 1994, 16). He owned lond In sever41 slates and in bter life Amalia fondly recalled ber visits to bts rancheJ m fur­off areas, ruticwarl; the famil}''uugar plantation in TamauUpu." Am1.Ua's aperim<:a there formed the basis (or i.ll early chorrognphy titled LD rafra til Ta ... aul;pou (Supr IUn.«t in Ta:na..!ipas).

Hernandn was a pnvi:ep cht d "'ho razh-ed~err advantage herwdl­conncc~ed parer.!$ had tO oF.rr Wher she ap~ mkr«t "' darce. her f•ther bwh her a dmce 51Udto in the house and proYided her wtlh b;lllet les­sons from teachers such ~s Russian exile Hypolite Sybme and Madame Nesly Dambre ofll>e Paris Opera. She alao &1\ldifd indigenous and regional '-1exicao dance, lap, modern, Spanish, and "Oriental" dance, as well as theater and Mexican art (Aguirre and Segura 199~, t8). Her nearly Oawless I!nglish wns u result ofba.ing been sen1 10 the United States to learn it; she also continued ber bi.lkt studies in San Antonio and l:uer completfd her dance educntton at ~exico's National School of Dance.

In 1946 Amalia began 10 work as a pro~oual dancer. leac~. and cho­reographer with the Mc.\ican Academy of Daoce. a pan of the g<~Vm~ment's lnstiluto de Bellas.'\ rtes (INBM. One of her 6rst .;reatioos was the Sinfimlc India, inOucncfd noc onl)' by Ch:lvez, the composer of 1M work by the Altle name, but also by the "passion• .he had shown for indigenous d~oncu since her childhood \'3Cattoni in the provinces. Howe>-er, after Chavu created a Oepart.'DCnl of Dance "1thin INBA in 19so and appointfd .Misud Covarru­bw its directOr, she fou.nd •he had to J~,-e her post. Covarrubias did not appf'O\'e of her plans tO create performances basfd on trachttonal dances. since for htm Moacan dance should arise from "1M nrw nahonallst. revo· lullonary, and essentially indisenist ideology• and should be bued on a modern daoce VOCllbulary (TortaJada QUiroz 1000, s6). Hernandez t~fore

THE aALLO FOLKLCI~ICO Dl MhiCO • 21S

kfl 1M Aademr to form her O>Yn companr and de\ clop ber O>Yn concept o( ~tionahst cUn..c (Ibid., s7). ln 195~ •be fonned an dsht -member troupe ulltd Bat:el Modeno de Mmco a."\d creatfd the suite Sonu dt .~fic!wll( .. ~, a num~r <tillperformfd by the Ballet m this dar Altho"'!h t:er fami.y d.d 1101 always SIIPJ'Of1 her trtisl•c goals in this early penod. sbe pet\t\'ffed, on - occ ... ion p;~wning her father's limousine to pay the dan«rs wages. r 1be poUf' soon bq•n performing weekly on the TV sbow • runoon de Gala." ln tiJb.. sixty 'tvet~ d.lferent programs of MCXJcao dance were produced and IPII$mtnfd nat onally. while 1M group gre" to twenty daocers (."'guarre and SCJura 1994, )6).

'Jhls was an opportune lime for the creation of a nationalistic dance com. fhe 19505 and 196os were a hme of relative prosperity and stability

Mexico, as well as a time of searchins for national identity. and profit, be reQped b~ a well-pl3ced cuitural orgaruzatioo A look at pr• identi:tl

>>orilnritiM in 19405·19605 Mex1co shows that Arnalilis wori< wa, also in bne the MexiC311 governmen(s goals for the country. For example in 1940,

\ I<>.JCan @O~ment cospc.•nsored a m<tjor art exhibition at \lew York'> )llaaow:n of M~>.km Art tiled ·r.,.enf)' ~nturics of ).lexkan An.• which ~ 13'4 a. a wa) ofincre~mg .rndersurdmgofMcx!co in the Umtfd State. (Doe;par :tOOO, 558) 1be governments intern~ 111 promollllg Mexican aJture ~only inc:nasfd in the post-World War 0 tta.a tiJnc, ofopctmtJ>m and • rq>reneur ali.sM. President Miguel Alemto. 1M "bliSineuman pre<tcknt," made the increase oftourwu to Mexico apnority fro:n 19o46to 1952 (Knuu 1997, 545). he conunued to work in toumm as an ex-president (Ibid., 60S) when the tourism department began its promotion of the B~M. Adt>lfo Ruiz Cortines{t9~·;8), Adolfo L6pe1. Mateos (1958- 64),and Gustavo Dfaz.Ordoz h~4-70) followed in his footsteps. As the time ofstabillty continued, so did lbc tOl.otry'• economic progress and the government's ties to the llFM.

In 19stl the company becm~e an official represemative ofMe~ioo\ foiiJife tfh(" tht Me an Dq>a~1 of Tourism asked the group to tour lwrth America. tncbchng 51~ m Cuba. Canada. and l.os -~Je, In t"" l<>llow­lnc ~ th~ dt rector or t"" ~mcnt'• lntmiOltior 21 Cultunl Promo! 100 0rpr taJ 1on u kfd the group. no-.. fifty member> stroag.to represent Mexico In Cht~oa.;o for the Pan-American Games AI th:s time. the group'• name was changed to "BaUet Folkl6rico de \l~rlco· and FeUpe Segura IOL~d the com PRny for a brief term as artist1c director, bringing in ballet dancers hl"raise the lect.m.:all~tl' (Tortajada QUir<>~ •995· 479). In Cbteago, their performance includfd the oum~rs L01 hiJOS del sol" (a reconstl'uctlon of Mtcc dance). ~'\ntiguos sone. de MJchoadn,· "EJ cupidJto," "Fiesta verncru:r;Jna~ • Los quet-

116 • SYDII£Y HUTCH II SOh

zales~ "La danu del ven1do" (of th~ Sonorun Yaqui peopk), :md "Navid;W en JahiiCO."" many oi which ~tiD form pan of the company's ~.otrc loci.!.)· (Ag\.irN and ~tgUra 1994. jS) The group then accompanied future president Diaz Ordaz to Cit~· Hallm Los Angdcs (Tonajad~ QUiroz 191)S. ~So). Also in 1959- (~(\<' prn&dcnt.'\dolfo LOpez Mat-"olfcl'<ld aU ofh J support in ordtt ro ma~ il ' the ~tdancecompan} m tbe -..·orld'" (Aguirre and Segura 1994

4.o), which meantthot the llFM \"llS then "officially born by presid.-ntial de­cree (Tortajad.a Quiro1199So d1). rNB-.. under whose ou•;>kes the group funcl!ored, named the BfM 1ts "offic.,ar folkk><ic company and scheduled weekly performances for tourists t-..·ice on Sunday and once on Wednesday, the resident comp<uty's pnmanent schedult (Aguirre ami Sesura 1994. 40).

1n fa.;t, tM dirrctor ofl.NB" was suc:h ~ enthUJI.shc supporter oHohdon. dance that he e\oen attempeed to make his org~nizauoo's do.ssical ballet troupe perform traditional repertosre (Tortajada Qu•roz t99So 48~).

The 196os wc:re a ba5! t1me for Amalta and her ~onraoy. 1M BaOet Folkl6rico rc:present~d Me>..ico at the Fcsllval of Nations 111 Pans in 1961, introduc1ng their dances to an audkncc then unfamiliar ,..·ith most latm American dance and taking first pnu. LOp~~ Mateos continued his dOSt! r<lallonship ...,,Lh the group, which was a particular favorite to perform for distinguished foreigners including John F. Kennedy. The American prt•,dent -..05 so lmp~ed tht dur:og the company·~ fi rst formal North "merican tour in 1961l>c 1nvited J!em for a pllvat~ performance~~ 1M Wh&te House. The 1963 tour saw the Ballet Folkl6nco performing to full houJt> 111 Peru. .\.rgoer.lina. Cbtle. Uruguay. Brazil, Pan :una. Costa Rl.ca. and lr.done5ia: 1111964 they v&<lled London. Paris, Swttzerland, and Italy to gmt acclaim. lhat same year, Amalia converted the BFM Into a civil a;sociotion · ,.·ith the purpose of g~llling its own legal st;ttus." but •tthe WM lime sh, presmted a tribute concert to president lOpez \tateo4~rhap to mainla: o their prwileged relulloMhip with the pohticHin e""n as an independent company (Aguirre and Segura 1994, 46-SS) .

By 1963, the company had spln into t~ne rc:sident and one touring company. ""th a tor.tl of 110 members, includmg se..,nty drut= , two cbo ~. musici:ua, o.nd tcchnlcJ.aDS. J nt96S· tbc BrM touring company visited Ea.1.err1 Europe and the USSR for 1M 6m ti:oe, t'lt binhpbce of the worJd,.ide folk dance moYro\eltL The Soviets approYe<l. the magazine Tempo reported. "Our I!UC'Its demonstrated. with great strellj!th, ho-..· mngniliceot is art ere· ated by the people" (tn AgUIT"c: and Segura •m 6>). lo t966 a new prn~t rook po-..er in Mextco, but Guftaw Dlaz Ordaz CDllltnued lbc g~ment ' supJX>rL of Amalia's efforts. bringing the company w&th him oo a gondwiU

THE BAllET fOlUOUCO D( MtxiCO • 217

&Out of Central America, tndud.oll Guatemala, EJ Salvador. Nicaragua. Costa ll.a. and Panama (fb&d.). In 196&. .Mateo bad the opportunity to showcase IIi culture to!M world at the XIX Olympic Game; in Mexico City. Of course. Amalia w:u c11osn1 to play a keY role. and she c~ed IM "Cultural Olvm· ~· ~oru• ling of t-.o brge-scaie dance "wb: BoUt~ of tit< Fiw Contb:~'flS 111d Bal~t of rhe AmcriCDS. The fim program combmed tbe work of chore· Clfraphers from around the world and consisted of Greek. Eskimo. Peruvian, ....,,...., Ani!C, African, Colombian. Turk•\h, Auslral1ao, lnd&an, and :-lorth American dunce-the latll"rchoreogn&phed by !l lvin Ailey. l"he &rllet of the ,Americas included Colombian, Panamanbn, G~alao, Bol&vian, \le11C2.U·

Mnrcan, Algnttine. Co.ta Rican. and Cuban ballets (Ibid., 68-;oo). l'>e 1960s also saw the creation of tM Ballet Folklt\rico school, which be-

in t"'o donee studios in the INIIA buUclings. Amilia's brother would later the sc:hool's own 3\"aot-prde bu...dmg, completed 1111968. Education is

primarygcal.!, and it. programs include a youth pro· for agn seven through th1rteeo, a four·~ar teeNadult program award­

the diploma of"practici.ng dancer~ and a COI'tinuation program lasting • add1tioNI, one to t-..o ~·rs. CourJt, are olferc:d both on scbool year and twnmer sc:heduies: the)' mclude classical ballet and modern da11ce ted111lque • wcll as the apected fulkloric dam:e dassts. Of thr pnformiog company

;o to 7S rerctnt are gradual~ of tha program (lb&d., 9~-9~) During the 19705, the company continued the trnjector)' began In the

pn!V•ous dende. Tours reached itill more: countries, (ro.-o the Dominican lq>ubltc to I •rad. N~ work$ ~re premitnd, inc! uding some so honor of palr"cians: 19iO sa"' Torraramtla debuted for President Gustavo Oiat Or· dal, wtule in 1977 two works "inspued by the dances of Veracrut" were pt'efcnted to fo~:~mr pre•uknt Migud ... Ieman Valdes, a Veracruz oatn~ A ... nificant addition to BF.\1 act!\ 11ies dunng th&) decoade 1vas a greater focus on ou1 reach. For cxnmple. the group performed on open·atr 1tages in poor llripborboods around the apital ci1y "lo expo$e people of ''ariou.s d._, 10 IM Ba lot" (Ibid .. 11o-u). Also. in 1973 the school formed an experimen· '-1 group tn feature regional dances collected b)' reg.onaJ re.earchers. In die 19dos, outreach w .. C\panded to 1M provinces. and sl~~ce that tL-oe, the company lias pr~teJ approxu1w d y fifty performancCJ yearly in outl)..1ng areaB, panlcularly In G11adnlajara, Puebla, Toluca, 1orre6n, VlllahermtiSa, Mtridt, 1\mla Gut trret and Aguascaltentes (lbid.. tu-~)-

Or.e <Ieman of IM BFM often emphasiZed b)' the press is that the Ballet h>ik16rico •s • family affair. A rnalia's smer Dclfma Vargas worked on cO$·

tume design while brother 'lgu.t:o Hem4nducontributed to set design and

4111 • SYDNlY HUTCHI NSO~

desp the Ballet !Chool building. Amalia's two duaghte1"6, Norma ~ Htm4ndn and ViVWI& BnRDta Hernandez. were 'born mto the balkt." of~n accompmymg their mother on tours. Later ~orma became &rtisttc dlnctor, Vivtana p.:rformed as a dancer and btcune tbe !Chool's coordmator, and Amahu gnndson Sal\-ador I..Opez L6pn 1S nowgt'neral aJnurUs1nator,tou1

coor~tor,and atnck .. , perforrningm Tamauhpasand ZacattcaS511Jks Upon Amalia's death m :1.000. Norma continued as dinctor (Ibid., 14-30).

Though the HemJndet fam1ly urtainly pla)"5 a «ntral role 1n the com. pony's management and they are the principal ckcmon maker"$, it IS Impor­tant to note the less frequently promoted fact that the company wu also Ql\ international on~: ; !nee its mcepuon. From the beginning, A malbis principal set destgner wns the englishman Robin Bood. and ber h1ghly lnllucntlnl cos­tume designer was '<ew Yorker Dasha Topfer. Earl)· reviews and programs often la•isb!y praise tM dfurts of these l'-'0, while in later ye:tt$.thelr role is downp!aycd or gOt$ unmentioned. perhaps because natlooa1i$t strll1mcnts made Mcxians m general and <l;anars in particclar fed more proprktu)· of the comp.n) s product1oru SttU, the international aesthchcs creued when Bond. Topfer aod llemincle:r came tngether P"" the compar.y a broad ap· peal th..1 contnbuted to rt. mrn-oational sucass

• .o.nothff common el.-r=t in mQSt b1ognaplues IS the<r portna)'lll of Ama· lia u • woman who struggled to knodc down Mexico's gttckr bamer., htt "triumph" bnnging "n(W freedom and opportuo1ry to women:'" Certa nt1 ber refus..l to follow a preplanocd role (h~r family expected her to become a !Chooheacher) and her pursuit of leadel'$h1p posrtiona was atyptcal ond shows great 5tr(nglh of character. No evidence has been offered to supJ>On 1 he assertion lh3l her career brought any benefits to Mexlcan "omen as a whole, however. fn addot10n, Shay observes that the 6eid of follJonc dan" was no1 exactly inundated by male professionals (1001. 9J), so her gttckr was lt>S of a problem than lt m1gh1 b;r.-e been in other endeavors.

In conclusion Amalia's do~ penonal rdationslups w1th the ruling d ll'

b.tped "in otfidal fa\or for ber company, as d!d her abtlity hi odvance na· tiona! pls . .UtM promotionoftourlim. Bot the BFM'ssucccssan national symbol c..n also be attributed to Its adbcrcnoe to the natto:W.<t o<leolog1es dtvdopcd and cspo..sed b) intdlecmals of the time. AmalU's work clearh LDCorporated the raoal political ideologies and rom~nt•.: notional ism dW· acterisllc of the ~vo!ut ionary period. Her biographyaho revealsa number of other unponant facts. First. Amaha Hernandez was a ch ld of rnvokl!e whose primary contact wtth regional and indigwous dances cune In a de· cldedl)' colonial contexl-u she visited her father's ranches and plantntions

THl BALlET '0LKl0 AICO 01 r.CX ICO • 219

;hildhood vacat ors Second, she had an intemauooal educatiOn and _,·n.at oon,al cootaets. from Mr Rll>Si:m and French dance teacMI"6 to her

A>mne&D and British dcsignel"$ This easily enabled her to see L'\ in· patio•nal rok for Mexican culture in general. as rctlected 1n her cmat1on ftbe OlynlptC &/Itt of tilt Amtn<"M and Iter company in ruticular. Third,

bepn the compan) Wl:h a slightly dilferent, possibly more rrogressive .-:ep~:ron of its role, reOected by the name change from Ballet Moderno

Fo!kl6rico; the change may have resulted from politicia1ts' encour· of her folkloric work. Pourtb, even though she privatized the com

..... earllvin its history. Amalia always maintained a dose relationship with ruling class, currymg the favor of a s~ion of presidents Fifth,

compan)·'s chorcographtes were widely disseminated early on, from the television broa&asu of the 19505 to rhe world tOUr of the 1960s

regional presentations of the t98os. Finally. the BFM's prlmury rolu early 196os ha.c been twofold: providlng .\1exlans with a culrural

ltlaltion and promoting toun<m amoog foreigners.

promotion of the tdeolog1es of mestiz.Mje and rndtgenismo through folk· c!orxe is c:ertaml)· an improvement m-er the Euro~an-domlnated co

period HO\\~er, as we have already begun to see, these idcoiDg es not unproblematic, and in man)• ways colonWism still castsots shadoo..· these works. Anthony Shay has obser\'ed that tbe BPM's longs~andtng

to .';texico's government and continuing role in educatmn and tourism functioned to conS1ram 1ts representational optJOns (1002. 94·9s). Yet

forms of represenuuton the company employs nrc conditioned not on!)• fe:rttrmlhltua•lions but also by the internal subjectiv1ties ofits creator. For -.pe, a •96os 61!1Uirip shows that the company musidam acted as privlltt -'laU>erS to the llem,ndez family. performing at their gracious esute in -lllltairtlrr <'aCh '-Cekcnd as guesu in busiDCSs suits mingled &round them.

her vtew of the word and the artistic "aria she created '-"e« colored coloo...bsm and the not11iatlon of the "fook" that is part and parcel of

concep~lons o( the world. Anckrson has ckscn"bcd ho"· colon..! poo..crs use amiqwty to legitomate

power, exrlalnmg that•r.olon1al regimes began attaching themself[sicl ,'~IDI:iqtuty u much as ccmquest .•. Monumental archeology, Increasingly ~d to tourism. allowed Lhe litate to appear as the guard .an of a genuaH~ed. llut also local, Tradotlon" (1991, 181). Hern4ndn$ tntatment of indigenous

2l0 • SYDNEY HUT CHINSO N

dan= shows a simil:u ocleol<>sr at play Indigenous cultures are voluabk on!y .n their ancient forms-as part ofa @lorious pU1 "~n tM MteQ b.o.h fantas11C monwnena and the Mayas,...,... great ~'ltost (Stt the •9119 Vl<ko

&UD FolkMrlco dt Mix>w). MOikm-d.ly peoples are depocted on;y whet, they murtain the "purity" of tt.eiT "ancient t.radillons or "hen they ba1e sub:1l'tted to the pro=sc. of rr.tsriza~ In SIOme cases the colonial gaze os evident only through cOSiuming, since the costumes cboseo for the most CCiltTalotems of tM repertmre. )alisco and Veracrut, are those that wero t)·ptcal oft he colonial period. Ho•~ever, in some cases the results of icr coloniah~t viewpoint are not so benign. Por example. in the compan) 's por. trn)ol of the state of Chlapas. representation and reallty ho"e lottie o•-erlap and they combine to produce a poUtically prohlcmulic messoge Although this sta.te os best known at present for the Zap~tistu rebcl!Jon of Indigenous pcopk demo~ndJ ng thetr rights. the dance depicts an id)lliC scene of grace­ful women In black lace dresses whok pr<>~!f3ID notes dwell on the region's beautiful bca,hcs, nounlllins, and ilora, an incongruity th~t dt>turbi SIO~ \'iewm !St ... y 1999 )6).

The mo$1 politlcall)' probk:nanc of her chonographte\ tS her >TT'ion ol the \'aqta <Lmza dd muwo (.Jeer da.occ). Th.s dance 5Cn'U as a ~rmbol ol the company and tS u~ on its logo Programs and p<t>S rdease. typocall'o' f'IJ\phasoze the cbnce's "ancient" hisrory and the "punt( of the t nbe and " cultoral expreuocms. For example, • 1961 Seat1k WO<'d\ Fll.lr program swo that II is "part of a rite prepamory to the hunt "·bich hu existed among the Yaqui Indians since their origin hundreds oi years ago. . . The musoc is as ancient as the dance itSelf and is performed on prim itive lnnru mcnts.· A pr<>sram from the Palacio de \lellus Art~ in Mcx leo Ctty adds, "1 he Yaquis ba~ keptthcmsci''CS free of all meo>til•Je and compromise "-1lh modern cui· tuns" (June 19, 1963) . .... nile an early film describes them as "the oldest e..isthg tribe) In Mn•co." who still live as they did "before the conquest• (Piaa of

:he Plumtd Sopeni), Jorge T)ikr. the Sal let SIOioist who becall'e fa'UOUS for bU performance oft his dance, issub.tect to a sunilarexolifyint~cl.tSCourst. He ts described as •a Yaqui lnc!"'n OO)' irom Sonora 1 who was cLcovercd in ao orphanage"" and •t.as been traoned sina childhood to eucute thu sacred and ncitwg nt ual dance, seen I:IO\Oo~ else in the "·oriel"'' He IS also ~< ooe dan= w heT company who is •1mpl)· hi:nsetr.' presumabl) beau~~<

Is a Yaqui performing a Yaquo dance (Place of :he Plumed &rpn.t) All tbts tS not so d. ffermt from the discourK surrounding other ndlgenous

dances on the DFM's pr<>srams: the Mayas are abo "pure w custom and an· cestraltradil lom;.,. the Sonnjeros dance also come> from the "most une~enl<tf

TH l I ALLH FOL~ L6 11(0 0[ MbiCO • 111

--·•~··~ and the Cor. -heros too i.un "andwl ritual. .( th~l links modem with Its p:lst."" Wh3t is diif<:rent is the unique histoc)' of the Yaqui Mextco ""~ 1 tull·~•le gmocidal \Oo:U against this tribe for nearly

liolltndrell yean, wdmg in 1917. lu a result, most of the tribe was fotttd to Soror. nd #ltle tn Thcscm, .'\mona. where they stiliiJ\or today on

reservatoons. 1he BF\1$ era.ure of dus history in theor performance program notes and the Mexican gm~mmems subsequcnt approprtation

symbols. bolh tn dance form a.'ld as an image on s~)noran littnse '' th~ parllcularl) problematic: . .'\dcling to the compl•catlon tlthaton

· perform~cs of the danza dd ••en11do, tbe deer does not die. yet this tbe central theme of the BFMs choreograph)·. Anthropol0@151 David notes. "I know the maesiTO In Sonora who taught her the dance. He Is

rrad" (in Preston 1997). Though Amaha argued that thos altern lion \~ ICCIIAI'Y to supply the dance wtth a plot line, n srmbohc h terprclatlon O!

<.leer might ) tdd. a more sinister message. Amalia often found 11 necn•:uy to alter r:radttiO<>~ dances in "-•)'1 OlheT

the practoca requirernerts nccusltated by the tnnskr from tield to Sllcil as a reduction in lergth. Things tlw ~re 100 "sunple" wn-e made cl'mple.~ and de'llancliog in tcchnUJUt. She expLllned,

It ,., iftlx people~ Ma.<o. on e:xpr<atf18 their claoc:rs •~j t~. r fi lklort. _,IJ Jta,.., liked"' po$<m g11'21tr tr<I-Jtical ablbty to f..r.bcrdcv<iop Ill oi th<..,•kills."' ttmtsofthdrdance and cultun: and •t> "ttds and tntdlllons So 6rs1. I toed 10 be like them, and later to ust tho techniques that I ~•d lamed and my knowledge of dance to develop e>eh one oftba.e "-orks. •. , St>:ndim<5 you find a matrnal that is ••try rich in dance, but with rnuliC that Is ••mple ond prlm•ti'"'·'lm must be ...-orked with. Other umo1 th~ mu1lc is m•r.d ous. but the SCtf'l hove..,.,. few tlemenu of dance to them." (/\guir"" .. J Segunt 1994 IH-36)

_;u~~s !•laleme'll make! clear that her alterations ""'re nOI on I)' made forpr~c­re.uor • boot alo;o as a re>uh of •·alue judg~

In 'Pl~ of their probleMattc nature, these dr:p1c1ions of MexiCO·~ cultures -~ :.ccn leg!limi••J by the dlscours.: of authenticity w:lh whch the com· Jllnr >urrot.Dds ttsdf The a.mt of authenticity is imrarted through ;ltlenl on ID dane"" wtto ba;e "trained since cbJdbood"like d= dancer )Of&l' 1) llcr Clr the l>uebllru who perform los Quetzales (tn Plact of 1he PlumrJ Str· lfnt). Co.tumes, too, are said 10 be "authentic cop1es of the or:gin.al dress."" "exact• on every drtall E\n Amalia's modem dance-bused reconstruction of 11rr Mayan$ hns an "authentic Jeweled wardrobe~" It "olw ~chieved by

ll~ • SYDWtl HUTCHIHSO"

tmphu•zing Amdla's lengthy and m<"llculous re~arch on Mel:ican dance m both archival and fitld situations. 1lte Aztec Gods choreography reqwrtd two yeurs' research into the "records left by the scnbes and priesu who ac­companied Corte•."" us well as licld study in "remoce areas in tht' intenor o(Meltko such uO.uaca. M:tta!Un the si~of!M tombs ofanc:ic:o• kmgs" (A non). Dash a Topfer.too. "analyzed wall pa~nting. ancient sculpture. pot tery o'l<l old textiles to S«ure her Ideas fur costumes (Anon.),and her doth Is supplied by traditional weavers using "teduuques that have not changed since Aztec limes" ·-..·benever possible" (Place of the P!u.-1 S«rpent) Aa a re • .dl. no irony Is nteoded when one -.dco announm t.hat dus Is "original ard authentic fo.Jr.Jore created h)· 1M genius of Amaha Hermlndez" (&!!Itt FcrWrico tk Mho reo, 1989 video).

In condus1on, althou~;h lM BFM"s presentations of Mel<ican donee are the work of one Individual, the) have become uruversallted through their promotion y the Mencan government, tourist industry, and educational programs and legltJmized through • dlscourx of autheniJcit)· The removal of cootm~porary realities from the Yaqut and Chiapas dances seems to de pohtidz.e them. llo..ner, becau~ lM company's reperto1re unde:rhandtdl)­promo~ particul3r racial ideologies aod replicates a colonialist gaze, the Ballet Folkl6rico's portrayals of regional and indigenous C11ltures a~ 10 lila mhe:rently pohtlcal

Conclusions

The research and pre5t'ntatioo of regiooal traditlon(tl donees are n direct O<Ugro-..1h of postrevolutionary romantic nationalism. Yet one can not forget that In this cue a vision of national tdcniJty -..-as constiUCied b)' one woman aod tMttfore -..as o'lueDCed by her penonal history and mhjecti\•tty. Some see the jolkllmro repertoire as an accurate rcprc.cntation of Meltkan dn er <tty because ot au incorporat1on of a WJde \'llridy of regional tradtllon< In fact, Tortajada Quiro1. tell$ us that in the early po\lrevolutionary penod, Mtlonali$1 dance did help 10 CrHte cohesion amongst the dtverse Mexicnn populace, as thetr conni!'Ctton to the state -..-as symbolized oo stage in the cooni!'Ction between iodr.,d.lal bod es aed the collective (woo. 61) Yet, whilt l\ ilj~-Rami rcz agrees that the foliliria> reperlotre sterns from a dt.ire to "admowledglel di~rsity witbm the Mexican ntiiJon." she also notes that such representation ts only superficial and in rea!il)' allows distinct e:thnic groups to be "incorporated into IM dominant Me:dan hegemonic order' (•989. 19). Shay adds that groups 1.~ the Balkl Folldorico ..:tually "embodlrl CS5t'ntia11sm" by at~.m~pting to show th<tt all ~1eldaru are "the same· (1999·

TH E 8AllU fOLKL6RICO Dt M{XICO • U)

4t) Expanding on the work ofK~jua-Ramfre7. and Shay. in tbi5 ch<tpter I ..,,., shown that the regionalism t'\pressrd in fotJJ6rleo dance repertoire "n al•o be read u a discourse of racial hierarchy informed by a colonialist .r.entnlity, and that that discourse is highly problematic for modem m<lig· II)OUS peoples

'Jhe &llet Folxlclr,_o de Mtxico IS to be commended for its artistry, pred

11on. and ~lforu in cultural education. and Amalia liemllnda must be ad· mired for her talent, \'is ion, and hnrd work. along with the: tremendous effort lhe made in researching and presenting as many of ber •ountr)-'s datKCS as p>tble. Her work should be undet>tood with1n the context of its time. a time when inthgenisMO w.u considered progrcs<tve rnthtt L'wl problematiC. Ye1 ~a~ th<!st' L'>eatncal preoent2tions reach such a large audience and h<tve ll«n so inlluenttal, it is imperative to understand them tn conte.xt and to view

with a critical eye appropriate to our lime and our new understandings of u.ltural politics. Garcia Candinl write>. "The unificatiOn under national colors and symbols •• ~ornes dlstor1.ng utd dq>ohticlZing when 1t lcavc~ out the differ.:nccs nd contradictions th<ll it includes in reality. Mu5CI>m~ 8nd <'>oiYS thlll concol hardships. hiStory and conAim that produced an ob;«t or a dance promote di;iofe>rmation as well as pre~rvntioo. oblivion as "~II as remembra~Ke. The Identity they extol isdenled when its explanation ~~~p<rs Into its exlubition· (1993. 6S~6.) The Ballet Fol~rlco de Mmco Is d~ar.y 1mplkated bere by dep1~'hn1! a dcpoliticized Chiapas. a prer.>o<km Tarasc.an qior.. and • Yaqw deer dance where 1M deer is killed. Garda Candint sugge.t•thattn order to produce a oouoterhegemorucculture, the da<>es of people who created the decontex:tuahzed objecu must be able to ICII)JITOpriate the s)mbolic meaning of tbeir products. to recapture some coo· rol over tht'm. :-lahonal dance compantes should thcrd'ore be taking a ..,..,, politicall)' progressive rot.._ For tM BFM, this -..-ould mean loog-tcrm p.n tcipation by and.genous peoJ*s an the Ballet's cbon-ographtes and J"lb licity materials. A new conception ofintellectual property might also be war· ranted, which -..·ould ~II ow for the payment of royalties to Indigenous groups wllose dances are performed. In the short term, the B~llct mlghl attempt to correct tt.r stereolypes and misconceptions !My baH either creatrd or not contest.-.! by creating mor~ accurate and more critical program not6 and Pres• materials.

Notes

A .hortcned ro::m of lhls dto~.pter WI.! pYtD at the gnduatr tt~PI cooferma "Mil>IC, Pnfonnanc. anJ Rxiallm"i".n&t>C • ·which 1001. pba 11 '•" York UJLH~&ty ...., \bn:h ~-s. >OoS- The au:bor"' t<hct 10 th&nJ< Arlme 06v1.&, 'Aw.oedts 0\r, JIKO,

U4 · SYONIY HUICHIHSO N

and the eddO<S of thll vo.um< fo< char commer.n oo carlict Vtrstoos. Alltnnsl•­uoos arc d>c a11thor a own.

o.l w~l hnjusta (ow o(thcsedance Comp&JU<S hc<e, l($<\hcr "'llt tbcirdat<> ot

.-p on.

Oanu< Vmnvtla t9S4' Contunto Fotd6riro Naoona1 dt Cu~a t96r. Balld Foil< lor ,o Ganfuru (Hoocluras), 196t; !lakn• (Ballot FolclOrico l\100011 dr Chile), 196s: 8all<t Folkl6rko Nlcauguen~t 1969 Cur me (O»la Rica), 1974; Uallot Folkl6rico 'l;acomJ de Boh\ia. 197s; Balk! Folklorko Nadon I (Dommican Rq>ubhc:). •97Si t9SI Uallc1 Folkl6rlco Nnclonal de Argtnllna. 1986.

Dotts oblalntd from dance company Web sites and oohnc arllcks. ac-.s•ed June 29,l00S:

\'cnc7uda: ht:p-Jiwww.fpolnr.org.,,.'CIICllkl~sciculo21i&..:2l08.htnll,

Cuba: www folkatbo .:ult.cufbi>torio.htm,

Hondur.,. hrp-J'wwwbprrnsah.'LCDl11/poru.Ja> '9;'08jaB him.

Chile http-JI...,...emo .:~nolt<iasic-.dtWll,.~<laCulowdd:allti drtollcn<l4i<tau•p!•d ncticU,lSL"SO

N'tcangui' hnp.liwwwpnmend~roctividad ~brt1404_2

htm,

Cost• Rka.:: hltp;.l/www co.nuic:aweb.c.orn/curin:et. Bolrvla hn p·//wv.r...o.hun.gov.bolempr.,...'culllu11!8allet.. l'olklorteol index.a>p,

Oomi nlaln Rt)lUblic: http://r&ta.pucnm.edu~lolbdiM<lrtts/ballet lolklorico

.htm.

A rgentln:r. hup:/ lwww.cullllllL gav.vl n rgani...,O>! m u<lcoJ muJica_ballot php

L FortlCllmple,on< 6lm notealltat ma:iachls 'ad<ilht b1trof chlln totheperva5l•~

musu: ol <lghteenllt .~rurySpoln" Cl'ltla of tnt l'lumd ~"'; J ~ldlvar m>or~~ tlut jamb<J won lhc music 01 choo<c for anldltf• d r rc 1M

Makan·Amm<an Wor, tl!e f<m<:h lnlrr\ mtion.L'\d !he Rc•"Oiut onol1910, CJVing the 8ft'"' clear .... oonal.lst as;ooat;om; he also rcalli thai Vuconctlat ••~ d>c danC<'"' be uught 1n pubiK scboo!i b~ollfll<ll o11 1911 and ......, ~~ n perfocmed by lhr« hundred co.lpks in C.lupuhepec Pari< to mark lltt Ctl'trnn.al o( MCOCIII m<lqcndr,cr (tu?. ). g).

4- Conumt ·sa fudnating ooplc that I cannot full)• uploi'O here 'lk cbcnces of nauooal cost umc m MeJclco rt\~ ClOnlradictory c:Ws and mct·balled eon<cpts at play. 'I he dfj,.., poblww has long been ClOn&ldcred !he natlonol GO<lUI!'It fur "'~~"'•" and

tb< mea oprroprlatr fo< ~taP" :Ia", hOWt\'fl', d>c Addie. has rcplktd 11 in most ~t~ This is llctly due to the populmty o( !he u tn -widt 1\dr.ltllklrt for .. ~.or sklrt·ll"rl "C ltl?': ~ lltc rxt L:Jztthc chl"a pct~JUn.:-orts•~•Uy worn .,. k'f>'ana lo centnl Mu.co-wou rrpbad br • dnu ~from nlncttttth­w.·ury Ul'f'"-du. h.ropun aum and W.. appropriakd by rc•olulionanrs ments ~her coruidention.

S· Prov rn. Oklahoma C ty Great Art>;l ~rics. January 5 1964, 11 6. Theoo~,ept ot' dance ~nJtrucuoo desena funhtr cxplic:atk>n IJn<t many na·

J1aru <laocx compar.1rs ua: thu process, b<ttit is beyond the .cope o( this chapttt 7 Program from thcSc.aule World's Fatr,1961. 8. Pf()gntm of llte Palat lo de Bellas Art<1, August 19, •96•· 9· Pulst Jk~l. Drc:ember 1964-to. Prosram of the PestlvallntunahOnal de l.aiWII~, June 2), 1964 u. Prosram of the PaiiiCio de Bellas Artes. Aueust 19, 196 L

>. E.uhtt thorrovapben inspired b)· ~Rdrtional doncu SC'tnxd 10 d:splay no such -onal prefei'On« For aample, worb composed by Ndlle and Gloria Campobdlo

19300 toollh<tr l11spiratio<> from mdtgenous dana< of the Tarah"""" Y.Jqui, and lha\0 peorlu as ...C u the <rm<IIDC$, southern Mn- <&.'\ d.t.nces ~ke

81< -..:w.,... and the tetnungly obligatO<')' _ior.:.."- fiort•j;oda Q~UnJ~Z 2000, 18, Jt)

...... "'~the ••m• time. the •ompany lntttprcUl<ion<S A%lec:u r "'"'~" .. drew upon .ogr to pre>e,. d.u\;cs ba•ed or ar.a= Mesoamerican cultw<. much as .-\rna-

• would lat<r do (lb.d., :u- >J) I) Playbill ~-7 r u NDYt'Dlber 1970 1.4. Pros--am. Oi<hlhom• City Great Artist SerlO$. ~oarr <S· 196 .. 15 Jb1d. 16. "Chlldr~n of !he s..~: 'Ancient Sonp o/Mlchoooln." •n.., l t:tle Cupid," •y._

rocr•1 rie>ta." . ,,.., Quttul Birds." "Deer Dance,· "ChrUtmuln l•lim1." •7 Prog11m, ""'In Univershr, looiana,j3nuary 1, •964-18. "New Ballets Highlight Jlolk;oreoi'Mex.tco," LafrJytttt Dai~· Adwrrlsn October

Ja, 19{>6, )4.

19 Pl.lyboD v.6 n )8, p 19. Scpt<mber 17, 1961->0. F'!'Oir•m of the p, . .,.IO dt BeiW Artes.196os. u l>r<>sro.m of It-~ Snnk World~ Fair 196L ll. Prosr m o( the City C<r:tr NY, Noonnber 198). ·~ Playb '6 n •s . p.19, Sqxrmber 'l'o 196> 24-~ r<'rasc by Hlli'Ok C&'l.ttts. Macch u. 1!169, >< Prca rdea.e by Hlli'Ok Anl'll(llon<, Oc1lll>er 16, 196}.