Bailando con nuestros antepasados | Dancing with our ancestors
Last week, we shared the sounds of Ensamble Musical de Senderos and filled our homes with beautiful music. This week, we will move to it.
Dance is a form of storytelling that is shared with our bodies and has been passed down since the days of our ancestors. During Día de los Muertos, dancing is an offering to those who have passed. It is another way to bring joy and celebration to the spirits that visit us at the altar. From the tap of your foot to the beat of your heart, dancing fills the world with you.
Thank you for being with us in this month-long Día de los Muertos honoring our past and present loved ones. The celebration continues and that’s okay. Día de los Muertos reminds us to make time to welcome our loved ones, enjoy our moments with them, and see death as a stage of life we can grieve with life. These are practices that can continue beyond November 2nd.
Our final celebration with Senderos will be this Saturday, November 7th from 12-3:30pm outside the MAH behind Abbott Square. See this and more at santacruzmah.org/dia
This performance was filmed and directed by Isai Pazos.
Grupo de Danza y Baile Centeotl typically performs at the MAH and Senderos' annual Día de los Muertos festival in downtown Santa Cruz. Each dance they share is designed for the spirits and have their own significance.
Senderos maestras Jenny Robles and Malena Vega share their teachings and the significance of movement during Día de los Muertos...
The importance of dancing during Día de los Muertos is to pay homage to our ancestors. We dance to bring their spirits back to honor their lives. Dancing is the happiness and the gifts that we share and celebrate those who have passed on.
All dances come from the region of Veracruz where the Son Jarocho continues to be a living tradition. As most of us are familiar with the legend of La Llorona, the story is also told through the musical composition that many great singers have interpreted both in the US and Mexico. The song "La Llorona" has gained more popularity in recent years in connection to Dia de Los Muertos as the legend is fitting for celebrating our ancestors, friends, and family who have passed on. Los Enanitos talks about the little guys around town as the song fits with the joyfulness and innocence of our youth. El Paloma y la Paloma is a ritual couples dance and displays the sadness of finding out that your true love is actually your cousin who you cannot marry. La Bruja (The witch) is the depiction of a woman swooping through the middle of the night to find a mate. The dance shows its intricacy by the balancing of candles on their head while dancing.
Have you made your playlist yet? Maybe these dances can help you find the moves to dance with your spirits. We hope you enjoy this performance from the bright and talented Grupo de Danza y Baile Centeotl.
Tue, Oct 27, 2020
Thu, Oct 22, 2020
Thu, Oct 29, 2020
