MEXICO traditional – ‘Mexican Hat Dance’ – FOUR CELLOS (easier)

Other Identification:
The “Jarabe Tapatío”, better known internationally as “The Mexican Hat Dance”, is a popular Mexican dance also popular in other countries such as Cuba, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, that has come to symbolize Latin America both domestically and internationally. The word jarabe is likely from the Arab word xarab which means “herb mixture”. Tapatío is a nickname for the people of Guadalajara . The jarabe tapatío shares its name with a number of dances from the centre and south of Mexico, including the jarabe de Jalisco, the jarabe de atole and the jarabe moreliano, but the tapatío version is by far the best known.

The dance represents the courtship of a man and a woman, with the woman first rejecting the man’s advances, then eventually accepting them. It has a definite sexual component in metaphor, which was the original reason for disapproval by authorities. As the dance has lost its controversial status and gained status as a representative of Mexico, the dancers have come to wear garb that is also highly representative of Mexican women and men.