Dance history in Mexico goes as far back as to the indigenous Aztec and Mayan tribes performing rituals and rites of passage. Later, in the early fifteenth century, Europeans brought over their style of dance and introduced such formats as the waltz and polka to the local people.
"Jarabe Tapatia," also know as "The Mexican Hat Dance," is considered to be the national dance of Mexico. This honor was bestowed on the dance after well-known Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova fell in love with the choreography and added it to her repertoire. The moves reflect a courting story as a man tries to win the affection of the woman he loves.
"La Bamba" originated in the eastern city of Veracruz. The song is traditionally played with a harp, and dancers wear mostly white. Women accessorize their costumes with a fan, jewelry and occasionally a black apron. They wear a flower over their left ear if they are married, and the right if single. Men wear the traditional guayabera shirt, accented with a red belt and scarf. The couple often adds action to the dance by attempting to tie the man's belt into a bow with their feet.
The dances in the Nuevo Leon Region may represent choreography with the largest amount of outside influence. Locals embraced the European styles of the polka and waltz, but made it their own by adding a revolutionary spirit signature of their own history in proximity to the United States. The result is a fiery blend of aggressive shouting, stomping and brightly-colored costumes.
The dances performed in the popular sandy beach tourist state of Guerrero have a decidedly more laid-back feel. The dance of the iguana mimics on of the region's best known reptile residents with strong and subtle movements. The Yaqui people of Sonora also honor a local animal and important food supply, the deer. Dancers move and leap like the animal in a dance that is believed to bring good fortune to the hunt.
