History

• The beginning of folk dance in Mexico starts with the Mayans and Aztecs, native tribes that began dancing to please the gods. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they danced their European-style dances such as the waltz, ballet, polka and schottische. The European and native styles intertwined to create modern Mexican folk dance.
  
  

Types

• There are several types of Mexican folk dances. Among them are the Jarabe Tapatio (Mexican Hat Dance), La Danza del Venado (a dance performed originally by the Yaqui people), dance of the machetes (a dance in which the men spar with machetes around dancing women) and El Baile de Los Viejitos.
  
  

Costumes

• Both men and women dress floridly for dance performances. Different dances require different costumes. When dancing the Jarabe Tapatio, women wear a fringed blouse, skirt and shawl. Men wear a cowboy suit. For La Danza del Venado, dancers wear wooden masks to look like hunters or deer.
  
  

Music

• Many dances incorporate the use of mariachi music. The instruments used are violins, trumpets, guitars, a vihuela (an instrument that looks like a small guitar) and a guitarron (an instrument similar to the bass guitar). The music usually is written in 6/8 or 3/4 time.
  
  

Purposes

• Different Mexican folk dances serve different purposes. Jarabe Tapatio is a romantic dance in which a man leads a woman into courtship. La Danza del Venado is an illustration of deer hunting. El Baile de Los Viejitos was meant to mock the Spanish elite.