FOLKLÓRICO: BEYOND THE COLORFUL COSTUMES

FOLKLÓRICO: BEYOND THE COLORFUL COSTUMES

By Sam Cortez

Mexican culture and traditions are intricate. They vary from one town to another and remain living it.

I was born in México. The traditional clothing, the food, and the fiestas are a huge part of who I am. For instance, I remember my sister Claudia making a pledge to our local saint and then rehearsing for months so she could dance in front of our local Church as a thank you for the help. I also grew up looking at the Voladores de Papantla, traditional dancers hanging from ropes and executing movement until they spin to the ground. I admired their courage, yes, but mostly I was amazed to find out about the spiritual meaning of this ritual.

“Mexican culture and traditions are intricate.”

I have dedicated my life of studying and learning the different ways Mexican folk dance is performed. After many years studying with master instructors, I moved to Chicago. I wanted to be different. The word innovation resonated so much in my head that I wanted to change the perception that people had of what Mexican folk dance is. I experimented with fusion, collaborated in many unexpected ways with other artists, and somehow lost part of what folklórico meant to me.

“The word innovation resonated so much in my head that I wanted to change the perception that people had of what Mexican folk dance is. ”

When I came to San José in 2015, I began working with a dance company that reminded me that what we do is more than a way to entertain people. For some, we are reactivating and bringing a piece of their life that they were forced to leave behind. For others, it becomes a way to understand themselves and reconnect with where they came.

“ For some, we are reactivating and bringing a piece of their life that they were forced to leave behind.”