Learning to Dance el Jarabe Tapatío in Mexico

My second stop was Mexico, where I chose to learn the national dance - Jarabe Tapatío, more commonly known as the “Mexican Hat Dance”. Popularised in the 19th Century, the dance represents courtship, with the woman at first refusing the man’s advances until she receives his hat. Thanks to the help of the school’s director, I was able to learn this dance at Mexico’s world-renowned Ballet Folklórico de Mexico de Amalia Hernández, which was founded in 1952 by Mexican ballet choreographer Amalia Hernández Navarro, who until today remains a cultural icon. The long skirt simply does not do justice to the complexity of the footwork, but you you can hear the beautiful tapping rhythms played out by the shoes or look at the feet of my dance partner Osvaldo Santos. This dance was so difficult that after every class I felt completely helpless and never thought this would be possible! But gradually after diligent practice, it all came together.