06l07 Youth Education Creative Teachers...Intelligent Students...Real Learning

Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico de México Teacher Resource Guide UMS greatefuly acknowleges the About UMS following corporation, foundations, and One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the coun- government agenies for their generous try, UMS serves diverse audiences through multi- support of the UMS Youth Education disciplinary performing arts programs in three distinct but Program: interrelated areas: presentation, creation, and education.

With a program steeped in music, dance, theater, and education, UMS hosts approximately 80 performances and 150 free educational activities each season. UMS also commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, national as Michigan Council for Arts well as many international partners. and Cultural Affairs University of Michigan While proudly affiliated with the University of Michigan and housed on the Ann Arbor campus, UMS is a separate Arts at Michigan not-for-profit organization that supports itself from ticket Arts Midwest Performing Arts Fund sales, grants, contributions, and endowment income. Kathy Benton and Robert Brown Bank of Ann Arbor Chamber Music America UMS Education and Pat and Dave Clyde Audience Development Doris Duke Charitable Foundation DTE Energy Foundation Department Dykema Gossett, PLLC The Esperance Family Foundaion UMS’s Education and Audience Development Department Dr. Toni Hoover, in memory of seeks to deepen the relationship between audiences and Dr. Issac Thomas III art, as well as to increase the impact that the perform- JazzNet Endowment ing arts can have on schools and community. The pro- James A. & Faith Knight Foundation gram seeks to create and present the highest quality arts Masco Corporation Foundation education experience to a broad spectrum of community THE MOSAIC FOUDATION constituencies, proceeding in the spirit of partnership and (of R. & P. Heydon) collaboration. National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts The department coordinates dozens of events with over NEA Jazz Masters on Tour 100 partners that reach more than 50,000 people Pfizer Global Research and Development, annually. It oversees a dynamic, comprehensive program Ann Arbor Laboratories encompassing workshops, in-school visits, master classes, Randall and Mary Pittman lectures, youth and family programming, teacher ProQuest Company professional development workshops, and “meet the Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 artist” opportunities, cultivating new audiences while Education Endowment Fund engaging existing ones. TCF Bank UMS Advisory Committee For advance notice of Youth Education events, join the University of Michigan Credit Union UMS Teachers email list by emailing U-M Office of the Senior Vice Provost [email protected] or visit www.ums.org/education. for Academic Affairs U-M Office of the Vice President for Research Wallace Endowment Fund Whitney Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan

Cover Photo: Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Fólklorico de This Teacher Resource Guide is a product of the University Musical México performing the piece, Jalisco. Society’s Youth Education Program. Researched and written by Bree Juarez. Edited by Ben Johnson and Bree Juarez. All photos are courtesy of the artist unless otherwise noted. UMS Youth Education06/07 Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Forlkórico de México Friday, September 22, 11am Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor

TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDE

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Funded in part by the Whitney Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan Table of Contents About the Performance * 6 Coming to the Show * 7 The Performance at a Glance

Reperatoire 10 The Mayas 11 Sones de Michoacán (mee-CHO-ah-cahn) 12 Tlacotalpan Festivity (ta-LAK-oh-tahl-pahn) 15 Life is a Game, The Deer Dance, Jalisco Short on Time? Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico de México * 18 Biography of the Company We’ve starred the most important pages. About Folkloric Dance 21 History of Mexican Dance Only Have 24 The Elements of Dance 15 Minutes? * 27 How to Watch a Dance

Try pages 7, 15, Mexico and 26 29 Quick Facts: Mexico 32 Mexico Yesterday and Today 34 Timeline of Mexican History

Lesson Plans 37 Curriculum Connections 38 Meeting Michigan Standards 40 Dance Vocabulary 45 Dance Vocabulary Word-O

Resources * 47 UMS Permission Slip 48 Internet Resources 49 Recommended Reading 50 Community Resources 51 Evening Performance Info 52 Upcoming Teacher Workshops 54 How to Contact UMS

4 | www.ums.org/education The Deer Dance About the Performance Coming to the Show (For Students) We want you to enjoy your time in the theater, so here are some tips to make your Youth Performance experience successful and fun! Please review this page prior to attending the performance. What should I do during the show? Everyone is expected to be a good audience member. This keeps the show fun for everyone. Good audience members... • Are good listeners • Keep their hands and feet to themselves • Do not talk or whisper during the performance • Laugh only at the parts that are funny • Do not eat gum, candy, food or drink in the theater • Stay in their seats during the performance • Do not disturb the people sitting nearby or other schools in attendance Who will meet us when we arrive? After you exit the bus, UMS Education staff and greeters will be outside to meet you. They might have special directions for you, so be listening and follow their directions. They will take you to the theater door where ushers will meet your group. The greeters know that your group is coming, so there’s no need for you to have tickets.

Who will show us where to sit? The ushers will walk your group to its seats. Please take the first seat available. (When everybody’s seated, your teacher will decide if you can rearrange yourselves.) If you need to make a trip to the restroom before the show starts, ask your teacher. How will I know that the show is starting? You will know the show is starting because the lights in the auditorium will get dim, and a member of the UMS Education staff will come out on stage to introduce the performance. What if I get lost? Please ask an usher or a UMS staff member for help. You will recognize these adults because they have name tag stickers or a name tag hanging around their neck. How do I show that I liked what I saw and heard? The audience shows appreciation during a performance by clapping. In a musical perfor- mance, the musicians and dancers are often greeted with applause when they first appear. It is traditional to applaud at the end of each musical selection and sometimes after impressive solos. At the end of the show, the performers will bow and be rewarded with your applause. If you really enjoyed the show, give the performers a standing ovation by standing up and clapping during the bows. For this particular show, it will be most appropriate to applaud at the beginning and the ending. What do I do after the show ends? Please stay in your seats after the performance ends, even if there are just a few of you in your group. Someone from UMS will come onstage and announce the names of all the schools. When you hear your school’s name called, follow your teachers out of the auditorium, out of the theater and back to your buses. How can I let the performers know what I thought? We want to know what you thought of your experience at a UMS Youth Performance. After the performance, we hope that you will be able to discuss what you saw with your class. Tell 6 | www.ums.org/education us about your experiences in a letter or drawing. Please send your opinions, letters or artwork to: UMS Youth Education Program, 881 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011. The Performance at a Glance Who was Amalia Hernández? Amalia Hernández was the founder and choreographer of the Ballet Folklórico de México. Throughout her youth, Ms. Hernández studied ballet with teachers from the Paris Opera Ballet. In addition, she trained with flamenco companies, Mexican folklorists, and modern dancers from both America and Mexico. Studying classical dance opend the doors to form and discipline, but the history and traditions of her own country were the driving forces behind her creativity.

Ms. Hernández talent and vision took full form when she left her position as a dance teacher at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexcio City to form her own folkloric dance company in 1952. Ballet Folklórico de México was born. For her “Folk Dance” untiring efforts and her brilliant contribution to the art of her country, she received over 100 decorations and awards in Mexico and abroad, including the 1997 Los means dance Angeles Hispanic Women’s Council award of International Women of the Year. of the people. Amalia Hernandez passed away in 2000 at the age 83.

What does a choreographer do? Choreography (also known as dance composition) is the “art of making visual structures in which movement occurs.” People who make these compositions are called choreographers. A choreographer creates a dance by having a vision and then arranging or directing the movements of the dancers. The choreographer must work closely with the dancers, the stage manager and musicians during rehearsals. Although mainly used in relation to dance, choreographers also work in various settings including fencing, gymnastics and ice skating.

What is Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico de México? Beginning in the 1970s, Amalia Hernández and Ballet Folklórico de México created over forty ballets for upwards of seventy dancers. The music, technical rigor, elaborate costuming and Amalia’s choreography in these works have created a singular character, defining the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico.

Since 1959, the company has been permanently housed at the Palace of Fine Arts, the foremost stage for the arts in Mexico City. The institution has two main artistic companies called The First Company and the Resident Company: both alternate tours and performances in Mexico and abroad.

The company has currently given over 5,000 performances, and both Amalia Hernández and the Ballet Folklórico de México have been distinguished with more than 200 awards recognizing their artistic merits.

What is Folkloric Dance? Folkloric dance, like its equivlent English term “folk dance,” means dances of the people. It is dance that reflects the traditions, customs, legends, beliefs and lifestyles of people in particular countries and regions. Folkloric dance expresses the life and spirit of a people through its movement and music, and with a vitality and immediacy that instantly transport the viewer to the heart of that culture. It is both historical and current, perserving tradition yet shifting with the present times.

7 | www.ums.org/education The Performance at a Glance What will I see at the performance? (Extended Description can be found starting on page 11)

I. THE MAYAS This is the story of a Prince who leaves his loved one when the Hunting Goddess bewitches him. It is based on the sacred books of the Mayas, the Popol Vuh and the Chilam Balam. This ballet combines three mythical elements: the Myth of the Xtabay, the Hunting Goddess, who likes to hunt and seduce men and carry them to the sacred forest; the legend of the three Prince brothers, one of whom vanishes mysteriously, bringing about the brothers’ vengeance to the “other” world; and the religious beliefs of the Mayas.

II. SONES DE MICHOACÁN Michoacán (mee-CHO-ah-cahn) is one of the culturally richest states in Mexico. It is recognized for producing fine folk art such as ceramics, weaving, wood carving, lacquer work and copper work just to name a few. Therefore it isn’t surprising to note that Michoacán is also well known for its unique repertory of ancient song and dance.

The ballet begins with a party in a village where dances are performed in front of a flowered arc, a common decoration for this type of celebration. The brief but striking selection of dances begins with three rattle dancers, or sonajas which reveal their hybrid Indo-Spanish origin by the constant use of a rattle, an instrument almost invariably used in Pre-Hispanic times to mark the rhythms of all dances. These dances are followed by the jarabes, classic examples of that style which has developed in different regions of Mexico with rapid steps full of gaiety and hope.

Sones de Michoacán is the first folk ballet composed by Amalia Hernández. In this ballet she tried to present her love of Mexican culture and her love of youth.

III. TLACOTALPAN FESTIVITY January 31st. marks the celebration of the Candelaria Virgin in the town of Tlacotalpan. Stages are built in the main square where musicians and dancers dance to fandangos. This celebration is characterized by the use of mojigangas, enormous puppets that symbolize different cultural figures and archetypal human characteristics. The music is characterized by the sound of drums such as congas, common in the festive carnival season of the Caribbean.

IV. LIFE IS A GAME This game is controlled by a devil that manipulates the characters in this dance as if they are marionettes whose strings are played with in order to determine their destiny. Reality and fantasy intervene when the devil uses both “Cupid” and “Death” to unfurl a tangled love story between a bride, her lover and her groom.

8 | www.ums.org/education V. THE DEER DANCE The Yaqui People, who have a reputation as excellent hunters have managed to be the only indiginous culture to preserve their cultural autonomy in the face of Spanish colonialism. Free from any racial mingling and modern cultures, the Yaquis continue hunting with bows and arrows, cultivating the land according to their ancestor’s methods and celebrating their ritual dances with hermetic fervor. The Deer Dance is part of a rite that is organized in preparation for a hunt. It reproduces the hunt with astonishing fidelity.

VI. JALISCO The state of Jalisco is the land of the Charros, the Chinas and the Mariachis. Since the last century is has become a symbol of Mexican nationality. The Charros of Jalisco are known for their high spirits and joyous grasping of life. Jalisco’s folklore captures the soul of Mexico in its sensual music, refined dances and dazzling costumes. For this reason the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico culminates every performance with this ballet. It opens with a Mariachi parade playing lively sones at the start of a fiesta. In the background is the traditional gazebo found in all the provincial plazas of Mexico. During this colorful fiesta, the songs and dances of Jalisco: The Snake, El Tranchete, La Negra and El Jarabe Tapatío, the famous Mexican Hat Dance are performed. At the end of the performance the dancers salute the audience by throwing colorful paper streamers to them.

A charro and china dance in the final piece, Jalisco

9 | www.ums.org/education Repertoire Youth Performance RepertoireTitle I. The Mayas

This is the story of a Prince who leaves his loved one when the Hunting Goddess bewitches him. It is based on the sacred books of the Mayas, the Popol Vuh and the Chilam Balam. This ballet combines three mythical elements: the Myth of the Xtabay, the Hunting Goddess, who likes to hunt and seduce men and carry them to the sacred forest; the legend of the three Prince brothers, one of whom vanishes mysteriously, bringing about the brothers’ vengeance to the “other” world; and the religious beliefs of the Mayas.

It begins with the ceremonial dance of the Princess and her Court, and the Prince with the Princess. The Goddess erupts dramatically and casts her spell. In the following scene the Maidens of Nic Te, virgins who guard the Sacred Well, council the bereaved Princess and offer her the help of a sorceress who possesses magical powers to turn the water of the well into a love-potion. But when the Princess offers the elixir to the Prince, Xtabay creates a distractive whirlwind that makes him refuse the drink. Alone, at the edge of the forest, the Prince watches the Goddess as she dances the Dance of Seduction. Possessed, he goes into the forest where he is surrounded by the Ceibas and the Priestesses of Xtabay, who slowly make him, lose his mind.

In the following scene we can hear the funeral hymns of the Danza de los Murciélagos, or “Dance of the Bats”, the nocturnal spirits that here represent the soul of the Prince. They are guided by the Guacamaya de Oro, emissaries of the Sun God, who concede eternal life to the Prince and takes him to the heavens where he will be reunited with the gods and become the new Sun King.

Mayan Civilization The ancient Maya civilization occupied the eastern third of Mesoamerica, primarily the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The topography of the area greatly varied from volcanic mountains, which comprised the highlands in the South, to a porous limestone shelf, known as the Lowlands, in the central and northern regions. Both the Highlands and the Lowlands were important to the presence of trade within the Mayan civilization. The lowlands primarily produced crops which were used for their own personal consumption, the principle food being maize. They also grew squash, beans, chili peppers, amaranth, manioc, cacao, cotton for light cloth, and sisal for heavy cloth and rope.

The volcanic highlands, however, were the source of obsidian, jade, and other precious metals like cinnabar and hematite that the Mayans used to develop a lively trade. Although the lowlands were not the source of any of these commodities, they still played an important role as the origin of the transportation routes.

Contrary to popular belief, the Mayan civilization was not one unified empire, but rather a multitude of separate entities with a common cultural background. Simi- lar to the Greeks, they were religiously and artistically a nation, but politically sov- ereign states. As many as twenty such states existed on the Yucatan Peninsula.

11 | www.ums.org/education In both the priesthood and the ruling class, nepotism was apparently the prevailing system under which new members were chosen. Primogeniture was the form under which new kings were chosen as the king passed down his position to his son. After the birth of a heir, the kings performed a blood sacrifice by drawing blood from his own body as an offering to his ancestors. A human sacrifice was then offered at the time of a new king’s installation in office. To be a king, one must have taken a captive in a war and that person is then used as the victim in his accession ceremony. This ritual is the most important of a king’s life as it is the point at which he inherits the position as head of the lineage and leader of the city. The religious explanation that upheld the institution of kingship asserted that Maya rulers were necessary for continuance of the Universe.

The Mayan culture still exists in modern Mexcio. In the Indian communities, as it was with their Mayan ancestors, the basic staple diet is corn. The clothing worn is as it was in the past. It is relatively easy to determine the village in which the clothing was made by the the type of embroidery, color, design and shape. Mayan dialects of Qhuche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, and Mam are still spoken today, although the majority of Indians also speak Spanish.

A Mexican woman practices II. Sones de Michoacán the Mayan art of Michoacán is one of the culturally richest states in Mexico. It is recognized for weaving producing fine folk art such as ceramics, weaving, wood carving, lacquer work and copper work just to name a few. Therefore it isn’t surprising to note that Michoa- can is also well known for its unique repertory of ancient song and dance.

The ballet begins with a party in a village where dances are performed in front of a flowered arc, a common decoration for this type of celebration. The brief but strik- ing selection of dances begins with three rattle dancers, or sonajas which reveal their hybrid Indo-Spanish origin by the constant use of a rattle, an instrument almost invariably used in Pre-Hispanic times to mark the rhythms of all dances. These dances are followed by the jarabes, classic examples of that style which has developed in different regions of Mexico with rapid steps full of gaiety and hope.

Sones de Michoacán is the first folk ballet composed by Amalia Hernandez. In this ballet she tried to present her love of Mexican culture and her love of youth.

The Region of Michoacán Michoacán de Ocampo (From Michamacuan, Nahuatl for “the place of the fishermen”) is one of the 31 constituent states of Mexico. It borders the states of Colima and Jalisco to the west, Guanajuato and Querétaro to the north, México to the east, Guerrero to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

12 | www.ums.org/education Michoacán has an area of 23,114 square miles. In 2003 the popula- tion was estimated at 4,047,500 people. Its state capital is the city of Morelia (previously known as Valladolid).

Agricultural activities produce a wide variety of products in Micho- acán. The state’s production of avocado is currently the largest in Mexico. Livestock breeding is another prominent activity in Micho- acán.

Together with neighboring states Veracruz and Jalisco, Michoacán is one of Mexico’s main producers of cattle. The most important foods produced by these activities are pork, beef and poultry; Michoacán is also known for its milk, eggs, honey and beeswax. Fishing provides mojarra, carp, charal, shark, red snapper, crabs, turtles and oysters.

In Angangueo, gold, silver, lead, zinc and barite are produced; in Coalcomán, there is silver, lead, copper, zinc and barite; in Tingambato, copper is produced, and in Churumuco, gold. The steelworks at Lázaro Cárdenas plays an The cliffs on the important role in the state’s production of iron, zinc and silver. coast of Michoacán

As in other states, Michoacán also produces a wide range of handicrafts; among these, carved wooden instruments, lacquerwork, metal articles and pottery are especially noteworthy.

III. Tlacotalpan Festivity

January 31st. marks the celebration of the Candelaria Virgin in the town of Tlaco- talpan (tah-LAK-oh-tahl-pahn). Stages are built in the main square where musicians and dancers dance to fandangos. This celebration is characterized by the use of mojigangas, enormous puppets that symbolize different cultural figures and arche- typal human characteristics. The music is characterized by the sound of drums such as congas, common in the festive carnival season of the Caribbean.

Characters to watch for in the dance are The Dance of the Fisherman; El Sisquisiri; Jarochos, Musicians from Veracruz; La Morena; The Cuckcoo Bird; The Fan Dance; El Coco; La Bamba; La Sarna; The Clown; La Jarocha, or the woman from Veracruz; The Angel; The Moor; The African Boy; The Indian Girl-Maria; The Devil; and The Crier.

La Candelaria The city of Tlacotalpan in Verazcuz in the Southern section of Mexico is the sight of this festival, which begins on January 31st and continues in a mad frenzy until February 2nd. The afternoon of January 31st kicks off with a Cabalagata (cavalcade). This parade of equestrians are dressed in the symbolic traje (costume) of Jarochos (people who live in southern Veracruz). During the next three days there will be other parades including the Mojiganga (a procession of giant figures). There will be regattas on the river, bailes, masses and various presentations in the park. In the whirl of activity there are three events that stand out: el Encuento de Jareeros, el Corrido de Toros and el Paseo de la Virgen.

13 | www.ums.org/education The Encuento (encounter), is a staged event where groups from any of the small town present a multitude of musical styles that come from around the region. Along with musicians, poets come to present their works. Decimas are poems of then line stanzas that are spoken dramatically with the accompaniment of local musicians. They often proclaim the greatness of Veracruz and the beauty of its women, but the majority are picturesque comments on everyday life.

Next is the el Corrido de Toros, which means the “Running of the Bulls”. Bulls run up and down the streets of Tlacotalpan,veing controlled only by cowboys or vaqueros. As a result, they are likely to shoot down any street at any time and jump up on sidewalks; they have been known to enter houses.

Finally, on February 2nd, comes el Paseo de al Virgen de la Candelaria. The fes- tival is a request for protection against the overflowing of the river Papaloapan that has caused deadly flooding in this region. February 2nd is the birthday of the Virgen de la Candelaria. On this morning, a mass is held starting at dawn. Around 6 a.m. a mariachi enters the church for the playing of Los Mañanaitas (the tradi- tional Mexican birthday song) and La Llorona (The Crying Woman). A little late trhe Virgin is carried in procession through the center of town and down to the river where a barge awaits her. Many people gather along the waterfront to send off the Virgin, ending the three-day festival.

Mojigangas Mojiganga started as a Spanish entertainment form of theatri- cal performance that mixes the entremés (short and comic the- atrical performance of one act), dance and music. It comes from the word“boxiganga” of the 17th Century, a from the Spanish popu- lar culture and from the medieval theater. Chroniclers, like Father Bartolomé de las Casas, referred to the mojiganga as missionary theater which objective was to evangelize. It eventually spread beyond Spain to Latin America. Examples of mojigangas According to history, figures of cardboard, paper and cloth were brought to Mexico by Spaniards around 1600. During this early period, the mojigangas were used to evoke joy during important religious pilgrimages. They also were fashioned as effigies of saints and kings, but figures were also satirically fashioned to ridicule public figures. Such was the fate of an unpopular count or prince. The tradition of the dances disseminated throughout Mexico and took on different manifestations according to the style of the local artisans and the materi- als available to them.

14 | www.ums.org/education IV. Life is a Game

This game is controlled by a devil that manipulates the characters in this dance as if they are marionettes whose strings are played with in order to determine their des- tiny. Reality and fantasy intervene when the devil uses both “Cupid” and “Death” to unfurl a tangled love story between a bride, her lover and her groom.

V. The Deer Dance The Yaqui People, who have a reputation as excellent hunters have managed to be the only indiginous culture to preserve their cultural autonomy in the face of Spanish colonialism. Free from any racial mingling and modern cultures, the Yaquis continue hunting with bows and arrows, cultivating the land according to their ancestor’s methods and celebrating their ritual dances with hermetic fervor. The Deer Dance is part of a rite that is organized in preparation for a hunt. It repro- duces the hunt with astonishing fidelity.

The Yaqui People The “Yoeme” or Yaqui are a border Native American people who live in the Sonoran Desert region, comprising part of the northern Mexican state of Sonora and the southwestern U.S. state of Arizona.

The Yaqui conception of the world is considerably different from that of their Mexican and United States neighbors. For example, the world is composed of four separate worlds: the animal world, the world of people, the world of flowers, and the world of death. Much Yaqui ritual is centered upon perfecting these worlds and eliminating the harm that has been done to them, especially by people. There is a belief current among many Yaquis that the existence of the world depends on the yearly performance of the Lenten and Easter rituals.

The Yaqui religion (which combines the religion of old Yaqui beliefs and practices and the teachings of Jesuit and later Franciscan Catholic missionaries) relies upon song, music, and dancing, all performed by designated members of the commu- nity. There are also other Catholic practices that are seamlessly woven into the old ways. The Yaqui deer song accompanies the deer dance which is performed by a pascola dancer (also known as a deer dancer). Pascolas will perform at religio-social functions many times of the year, but especially during Lent and Easter.

VI. Jalisco The state of Jalisco is the land of the Charros, the Chinas and the Mariachis. Since the last century is has become a symbol of Mexican nationality. The Charros of Jalisco are known for their high spirits and joyous grasping of life. Jalisco’s folklore captures the soul of Mexico in its sensual music, refined dances and dazzling costumes. For this reason the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico culminates every performance with this ballet. It opens with a mariachi parade playing lively sones at the start of a fiesta. In the background is the traditional gazebo found in all the provincial plazas of Mexico. During this colorful fiesta, the songs and dances of Jalisco: The Snake, El Tranchete, La Negra and El Jarabe Tapatío, the famous

15 | www.ums.org/education Mexican Hat Dance are performed. At the end of the performance the dancers salute the audience by throwing colorful paper streamers to them.

Charro and China A charro is a traditional cowboy of Mexico. The traditional charro is known for colorful clothing and participating in charreadas, a type of rodeo. The charreada is the National Sport in Mexico. There are more charros in the state of Jalisco than any other state in Mexico. Jalisco has also won more national championships than any other state.

The women wear the china poblana dress which includes a hand-woven shawl and bright sequined skirt.

Mariachi The word “mariachi” is a term that can be used to describe the individual musi- cian, the ensemble or the musical genre itself. In the complete Mariachi group today there are as many as six to eight violins, two trumpets, and a guitar- all standard European instruments. Then there is a high- itched, round-backed guitar called the vihuela (vee- WHAY-lah), which when strummed in the traditional manner gives the Mariachi its typical rhythmic vitality; a deep-voiced guitar called the guitarrón (gwee-tahr- ROHN) which serves as the bass of the ensemble; and a Mexican folk harp, which usually doubles the base line, but also ornaments the melody. While these three instruments have European origins, in their present form they are strictly Mexican.

The music of the mariachi band is a mixture of differ- ent indigenous, as well as European and African, ele- ments. From Europe, it borrowed many of the dance forms such as the waltz and the fandango. From Africa, it borrowed dance rhythms and melodic ideas. The forms found in mariachi music are, without a A traditional doubt, the most important element of the style. Mariachi song forms (such as the Mexican mariachi bolero, canción ranchera, son, huapango, joropo, and danzón) are always dictated group by the rhythmic patterns that are performed by the guitar section of the group. This is one of the few musical genres in which text does not indicate form.

Mariachi music is one of the few styles of indigenous music that serves both a utilitarian and an entertainment function. The mariachi band is used for many dif- ferent occasions, such as dances, weddings, and funerals. It is not unusual to find the group serenading a young woman on the occasion of her birthday, celebrating a saint’s day, or singing to the mother of one of the band members on her birth- day. People who enjoy mariachi music like it because it rekindles old memories, takes them to places that are far away, or brings back scenes of childhood.

16 | www.ums.org/education Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Forlkórico de México

Biography of the Company In 1952, Amalia Hernández decided to form her own dance company. The experi- ence she had acquired as a dancer, dance teacher and choreographer at Mexican Academy of Dance motivated her to start a small company of only eight members. This small group called Ballet Moderno de México began presenting choreogra- phies created by Amalia herself. In this first experience as an independent artist, she debuted her well-known Sones de Michoacán (Melodies of Michoacán) with indisputable success. Following this, her enthusiasm to continue in the field of folk dance became a true challenge to be met.

The group was able to remain active thanks to the fact that, a short time later, it was given the opportunity to perform on a television program called Función de Gala, a project promoted and sponsored by Emilio Azcárraga Vidaurreta, then director of Televicentro.

With the responsibility of airing one dance program a week, the director, dancer and choreographer made use of her great talent to present something different on each occasion. The result was surprising: a total of sixty-seven programs were broadcast with a staff that increased to twenty dancers, including Amalia herself.

The small company also attracted the attention of the Mexican Department of Tourism, which asked its direc- tor to take her show, under official auspices to the North American countries. In this way, the recently-cre- ated dance company visited Cuba and Canada, and also Members of participated in the Festival del Pacífico. In this same year, the company in 1958, the group also traveled to Los Angeles, California, where it took part in the Revolution Mexican national celebrations.

In 1959, Ms. Hernández dance company was again invited to participate abroad on behalf of Mexico, This time, Miguel Álvarez Acosta, the director of the goverment´s International Cultural Promotion Organization, asked Amalia Hernán- dez and her group to prepare a special program as representatives of Mexico at the Pan-American Games in Chicago. For this purpose, she organized a tour in which the fifty-member company adopted the name Ballet Folklorico de México. Among the most success-full pieces performed were Los hijos del Sol (Children of the Sun), Antiguos sones de Michoacán, El Cupidito, Fiesta Veracruzana, Los Quetzales, La Danza del Venado (Deer Dance) and Navidad en Jalisco (Christmas in Jalisco).

Their success in Chicago launched the folk dance company on the road to great- ness.T he then-president of México, Adolfo López Mateos, showed a special inter- est in the group, and offered all of his support in order to make it “the best dance company in the world.”

As a consequence of the presidential offer, the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) scheduled a weekly performance by Amalia Hernández´ dance group. After

18 | www.ums.org/education the exhibition made to the tourists of the famous crystal curtain every Sunday morning at 9:30, Amalia´s ballet began their performance. On October 11, 1959, the permanent program of the group that would be known, for a short time, as the Ballet Folklórico de Bellas Artes began.

To the surprise of many, their initial performances at Bellas Artes attracted such a following that the director of INBA, Celestino Gorostiza, offered Amalia Hernández an additional scheduling on Wednesday evenings. Since then, the dance group founded by Amalia Hernández has continuously performed in this theater, twice on Sundays (morning and night) and once on Wednesday evenings.

The company has currently given over 5,000 performances, and both Amalia Hernandez and the Ballet Folklórico de México have been distinguished with more than 200 awards recognizing their artistic merits.

Members of the Ballet Folklorico perform

19 | www.ums.org/education About Folkloric Dance History of Mexican Dance Ritual Dance Before the coming of the Spanish conquerors the native Indians had a magnificent dance art. They put on great spectacles in which at times hundreds of dancers participated. Many of the dances involved acrobatic feats and incoporated colorful costumes adorned with jewels, gold, and flowers. They also made use of masks, rattles, drums, primitive wind instruments and songs to accompany themselves.

Ritual dances of the Indians were concerned with the birth of the sun, the harvest, rain, hunting, fishing, combat, victory, the offering of human sacrifices, marriage, death and burial, home building, and other domestic and religous functions. One example is the Aztecs and their numerous religous festivals, in which both sexes participated in songs and dances. There were processions of women and children crowned with garlands of flowers and bearing offerings of fruits, ripened maize, and other products of the land. In contrast, the religous dances with offered human sacrafices to the Gods were quite disturbing to the Spanish settlers.

Everyone participated in the dances, upper classes, lower classes, warriors, priests, and even the king. Dancing and singing was obligatory for children in school. They danced in temples, palaces, homes, streets, and large courtyards where sometimes a platform of wood or stone was erected high enough to enable the dancers to be seen from all sides. Early accounts refer to dances done in circles and concentric cricles, or in single file lines face to face, advancing, retreating, and exchanging places. Sometimes they danced in imitation of animals, birds, and butterflies. Ritual dances were performned mostly by men, but in some dances women participated. When men and women danced in the same dance there was no body contact.

The Conquest and Spanish Infuence The dance art of central Mexico continued untouched by Western influence until Hernando Cortés arrived in 1519. Looking for power and victory for Spain, Cortés began to conquer the indigenous people in 1519. In the conquest and the subsequent colonization they destroyed much of what was beautiful of the Inidan civilzations and also broke the hold of the Aztec religion and sacrifices. What they brought with them, in exchange, was the culture of Spain’s artistic golden age. Conquer Hernan Spain’s golden age was marked by the richness of its folk music and dance, incor- Cortés porating the influences of the Greco-Roman, Byzantine, Muslim, and Basque cultures. The early dances Spainards brought with them was their own religious festivals of pre-Lenten Carnival, Christmas, Holy Week, Corpus Christi, and saints’ days. They, like the Aztecs, danced in religous and solemn ceremonies as well as in times of celebration. The monks brought miracle and mystery plays, from which Los Moros, or The Battle of the Moors and Christians, still surives in dance form today in many Latin American countries. At their parties and gala occasions Span- ish emigrees danced the jotas (HOH-tahs), fandangos (fahn-DAHN-gohs), zapateos (zah-pah-TEH-ohs), boleros (boh-LEH-rohs), zambras (ZAHM-brahs) and other loved dances from their home proviences. 21 | www.ums.org/education Title Dance and Christianity In their religous zeal to wipe out all things the Spanish considered pagan or non- Christian, and because music and dance were associated with so many Aztec religous ceremonies, the early missionaries set about to supplant the native music and dance with European forms. They began with European church hymns translated into the Native Indian language. They taught the natives European notation, how to play and construct European instruments, and encouraged their creative ability in composing. Yet the conversion was neither sudden nor complete. Some of the more beautiful and solemn indigenous dances were permitted in the early Christian churches. The early missionaries found it expedient to permit the Indians to carry on their old dramatic dance forms, adapting them to Christian themes, substituting saints and feast days for idols and pagan holidays, and eliminating blood sacrafice. The resulting intermingling of Catholic and Indian customs may be seen today at fiestas where the Catholic Mass and dances of ancient Indian origin both take place in or near the church.

The Combining of Cultures Throughout the years the customs of both the Spanish and Indians have com- bined to make what we know as the Mexican tradition. However, in more remote regions less accessible because of natural obstacles like mountains and swamps, where contact with the invadors was limited or avoided entirely for many years, many pre-conquest dances exist much as they did four hundred years ago. Despite these few tribes, most of the pre-conquest dances have been modified in some origin and plumes, flowers, animal hides, and masks are still abudantly used. However, now china, paper, ribbons, bits of mirrors, and colored glass beads pro- vide the sparkle formally acheived by precious jewels and gold.

Among the existing dances which are said to be of pre-conquest origin are: the famous El Volador, or the dance of the flying pole, in which one perfomer dances on a small platform atop a pole thirty feet high, while four others hang by ropes tied to their waists, whirling earthward as they roes unwind; Los Quetzales, named for a beautiful tropical bird; the Zanco dance, which is danced on stilts; the Ribbon dances of the Yucatan, Campeche and Hildago regions, which bear resem- blance to a Maypole dance; and El Venado y Las Pascolas, or the Deer Dance of the Yaqui Indians.

This type of baile (BAH-ee-lay), as well as the aforementioned Spanish folk dances, of the earlier colonists and some of the native Indian steps, contributed to the make-up of the dances of the mestizos (meh-TEE-sohs), the Mexican people who are of combined Spanish and Indian heritage. The Indians observed the European’s and Creole’s dancing at their Carnival and parties, and originally mimicked them. In doing so they became fond of the dances and adopted some of their steps and patterns, and made them their own. The style of movement was changed to the Indian postures, for example the Indian barefoot or sandal could not be used like the Spanish high heel. Dances changed their names, different music was used and the resulting patterns became something peculiarly their own. The Spanish and Indians intermarried, and the resulting mestizo amalgamated their cultural heri- tages, as well as the blood and ancestry of both races.

22 | www.ums.org/education In addition to the Indian, Spanish and French, another influence must be rec- ognized which contributes to the mosaic of Mexican dance. Along the eastern coast, particularly around Veracruz, where the Spanish brought African and Car- ribean slaves, music and dance of the huapango (oo-ah-PAHN-goh) and son (sohn) strongly resemble Afro-Cuban dance music.

The Evolution of Dance and its Modern Form Out of this diverse background the secular folk dances of the present day devel- oped. As people began travelling throughout the country, dances naturally evolved and continue to their present forms. Today in modern Mexico the bailes of 1850 have given way to the ballroom dances similar to those now danced in the United States and Europe like the modern waltz, fox-trot, rumba, mambo, and the tango. The ritual and folk dances continue to be danced at fiestas, but unfortunately even in the less cosmopolitan areas the native folk dances are sometimes beginning to be considered “old fashioned” by modern young Mexicans. However, Mexico’s Department of Education has recognized this decline and is making efforts to rectify the situation. Folk dances are encouraged and taught in the city and rural public schools through college. They are included in fiestas and parades, and regional dancers have been invited to perform at the Palace of Fine Arts. Through these efforts, folk dancing is regaining popularity throughout the country.

A Ballet Foklorico dancer in traditional costume

23 | www.ums.org/education The Elements of Dance Every art form has its instruments, artistic medium, and design elements. For dance, they are summed up in the sentence, “Dancers move with energy through time and space.” This statement includes the basic components that dancers work and play with. People dancing are themselves their own instruments, expressing themselves through their bodies. Their body states and movement are characterized by varia- tions in the use of energy, time and space.

Dance Instrument The art of dance takes place through the dancer. Human beings are both the cre- ators and the instruments. The physical manifestation of the dancer’s ideas and feelings is the living, breathing human body.

In dance, the body is the mobile figure or shape: felt by the dancer, seen by others. The body shape is sometimes relatively still and sometimes changing as the dancer moves in place or travels through the dance area. Whether moving or pausing, dancers are alive with inner movement, feelings and thoughts.

Artistic Medium of Dance Movement is the artistic medium of dance, just as sound is the artistic medium of music. The movement of human beings includes a wide range, from large and obvious to so small and subtle that it appears to be stillness. Periods of relative still- ness are as effective and essential in dance as are silences or rests within music.

The movement vocabulary of modern dance is made up of human actions. A few of many possible actions are run, hop, crawl, stop, rise, jump, fall, bend, hold, shake, stand, walk, twist., turn, balance, roll, stretch, slide, leap, jiggle, pull, push, kick, hover, reach and hang.

Dance Design Elements: Energy, Time and Space Dancers make choices as to how, when, and where to do each action. In other words, dancers apply the variables of energy, time and space to their actions.

While elements of dance design may be categorized and described in a variety of different ways, they are used, whether consciously or not, by all dancers, from beginning explorers to seasoned practitioners.

Together, they provide a broad menu from which to make dance choices. Choices about any of the three elements tend to affect the others, but analyzing them sepa- rately can help dancers understand and use them.

Energy “How?” is a question about the energy, force, or dynamic quality of an action. Choices about energy include variations in movement flow and use of force, ten- sion and weight.

Here are some examples of action driven by different energy choices: a run might be free flowing or easily stopped, and it may be powerful or gentle, tight or loose, heavy or light. A skip might have a sprightly, listless, rollicking, smooth or other quality of energy. A person might roll heavily across the floor or use explosive energy to jump. Pushing might be done with gentle or powerful energy.

24 | www.ums.org/education Title Energy choices may also reveal emotional states. For example, a powerful push might imply aggression or confidence depending of the intent and situation. A deli- cate touch might reflect affection and timidity or perhaps precision and skill.

Some types of energy can be described in words; other spring from the movement itself and are difficult to label with language. Sometimes differences in the use of energy are easy to perceive; other times these differences can be quite subtle. Varia- tions in movement flow, force, tension, and weight can be combined in many ways and may communicate a wide spectrum of human emotional states.

Time “When?” is a question about time or timing. Choices about time include such things as duration, speed, divisions of time (e.g., beats and intervals), timing of accents, and rhythmic patterns.

Timing choices are applied to actions. Here are some examples: a twist could be gradual or quick. A stop might be sudden followed by a pause. Leaping might speed up, slow down, or be paced by even beats. A series of sitting, standing, and stretching actions could occur with an even pace taking a short or a long time. Such actions could be accented with pauses at regular intervals or occur sporadically. Bending jumping, and shaking actions might be arranged in a rhythmically pat- terned sequence. Rising and curling might ride on the rhythm of breathing.

There are endless possibilities for timing one’s movements because timing variables such as speed, duration, accents and rhythmic patterns, simple to complex, can be applied to actions in many different combinations.

Space “Where?” is a question about space and spacing. Choices about use of space include such variables as position or place, size, or range, level, direction and path- ways.

Here are some examples of space choices applied to actions: the dancer might choose to move or pause at any specific place in the dancing area. A skip could be in any direction such as diagonally forward and toward one side of the room. A twist might be high in the air or low to the ground or in between. A run or turning action could be in place or perhaps travel a certain distance along a particular path- way. The pathway might be curved, straight, zigzagging, meandering. The dancer’s movements can also trace pathways in the air as in an elbow drawing loops, a hip jutting out straight to the side, the head swooping down and up through an arc. The range of these movements can vary from so small as to be almost invisible, to as large as the reach of the dancer or the size of the dance area. There are countless variations and combinations of ways that movement can occur in space.

Is All Movement Dance? The dancer moves with energy through time and space. But then, who doesn’t? Are we always dancing every moment we are alive? Or are there some special features that lead us to call some of our movement experiences dance? It does seem that in dance, people tend to be more consciously involved in their movement, taking particular enjoyment or interest in their body.

25 | www.ums.org/education Language Dance is a language. It is spoken through the movement of the human body. It tell stories, expresses emotions and creates images. All dance is based upon a universal experience: the rhythms and movement of the human body. At a party, at home, or even on the street, most of us have felt the urge to dance. Whether it is hip-hop, swing, salsa, meringue, foxtrot, waltz, or twist, we all know a style of dance.

In dance we take in, synthesize and transmit our ideas and feelings about life through our bodies. Dance is a medium for learning about oneself and one’s world. It is truly a universal art since all humans relate body movement and the need to communicate with each other.

As we dance, we sense our bodies and the world around us. We learn how and where our bodies can move, expanding our movement possibilities and enjoying our sense experience as we dance.

Dance is a vehicle for understanding life experience. Through dance, we give form to our experience of self and world. Dance is a way to generate and give dynamic form to our thoughts and feelings. It symbolizes our thoughts and feelings kines- thetically.

Dance is a unique form for communicating. As we manifest our experience of life in dance, we send out messages through our bodies. We can appreciate these mes- sages ourselves, and others can receive them. Dance communicates in ways that words cannot.

Practice Sometimes, dance is designed to be performed and seen by an audience. In those cases, no matter what the style, dancers must train their bodies and their imaginations to be more expressive. Dance artists extend the vocabulary of their movement language through classes, rehearsals, and performances. What they practice are the basic building blocks of dance.

Male and female Mexican folk dancers take to the stage

26 | www.ums.org/education How to Watch a Dance Title The questions below about the elements of dance can be used both before and after viewing the performance. By discussing the elements beforehand, students can begin to make connections between dance movement and langauge. Afterwards, the questions can help students to analyze what they have seen and accurately recall details and feelings associated with the performance.

Style Is the dance open and expressive? Is it solemn or ceremonial? Is it celebrating an event? Is it a welcoming dance? Are these destinct characters portrayed? Is the dancing performed in couples or alone? Are there formation of lines and circles? Is the way the men move quite different from the way the the women move?

Costumes Are the dancers barefoot or are they wearing shoes? What can the dancers’ footwear tell you about where these people live and what they do? Do the costumes have a relaxed “peasant” look? Or are they “dressy”? Do the costumes have a “colonial” look, as if related to the frontier days of the United States? What are the dancers wearing on their heads? What do the styles tell about the the culture, the climate, and the history of the people? Are the dancers wearing masks? What is the character that the mask represents? Do the women use their skirts to create swirling designs?

Animal Imagery Do movements on stage tell you the dancers are portraying animals? What animals do you recognize? (Deer? Birds? Iguana? Jaguar?) How is the dancer able to create the appearance of an animal with his body? Are the movements crawling or rolling? Are the movements quick or slow? Does the animal character leap and charge through space?

Steps Notice the rhythms that are created by the dancers’ feet. Are the sounds of the steps created with the toes, the heels, or both? Do the dancers’ feet brush the floor as they move? Are the steps lively or slow? Do the steps seem complicated and intricate or simple? Adapted from materials by Music the Amalia What kinds of musical insturments can you recognize as you listen? Hernández’ Ballet Is the music quite or soothing? Or loud and exciting? Folklórico de Do the dancers ever beat drums or use rattles on their costumes to make music? Do the dancers sing or shout to add to the music? 27 | www.ums.org/education www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions

Mexico Sandile Matsheni as Atir with two baby giraffes (Photo Sandile Matsheni as Atir with two baby giraffes Grundlich) by Geoffrey Quick Facts: Mexico Title Location Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US

Area Total: 756,061 sq miles (slightly less than three times the size of Texas )

Land Boundries Border countries: Belize 155 mi, Guatemala 598 mi, US 1,952 mi

Coastline 5,797 mi

Climate Subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry Novem- ber to February

Terrain Varies from tropical to desert

Natural Resources Petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

Land Use Arable land: 12.99% Permanent crops: 1.31% Other: 85.7% (2001)

Natural Hazards The Sonora Desert, Tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the Northern Mexico center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts

Current Environmental Issues Scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion

Geography Note Strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world’s major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico 29 | www.ums.org/education Title Population 106,202,903 (July 2005 est.)

Age Structure 0-14 years: 31.1% (male 16,844,400/female 16,159,511) 15-64 years: 63.3% (male 32,521,043/female 34,704,093) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 2,715,010/female 3,258,846) (2005 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth Total population: 75.19 years Male: 72.42 years Female: 78.1 years (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS- Adult Prevelance Rate 0.3% (2003 est.)

Nationality Noun: Mexican(s) Adjective: Mexican

Ethnic Groups Mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amer- indian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

Religions Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%

Buildings in Mexico Language City are decorated for Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages Independance Day, September 16 Government Type Federal republic

Capital Mexico (Distrito Federal)

National Holiday Independence Day, 16 September (1810). The day marks the beginning of Mexico’s struggle for independance from Spain.

Flag Description Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white band

30 | www.ums.org/education Title Economy Overview Mexico has a free market economy that recently entered the trillion dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Recent administrations have expanded competi- tion in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas distribution, and airports. Per capita income is one-fourth that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Trade with the US and Canada has tripled since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994. Mexico has 12 free trade agreements with over 40 countries including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the European Free Trade Area, and Japan, putting more than 90% of trade under free trade agreements. The current president Vicente Fox’s administration is cognizant of the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize the tax system and labor laws, and allow private investment in the energy sector, but has been unable to win the support of the opposition-led Congress. The next government that takes office in December 2006 will confront the same challenges of boosting economic growth, improving Mexico’s international competitiveness, and reduc- ing poverty.

Agriculture Products Corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

Industries Food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petro- leum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism

Currency Mexican peso (MXN) In 2005, 1 US Dollar (USD) = 10.97 Mexican peso (MXN) A young child on a Mexican farm Labor force - by occupation Agriculture 18%, industry 24%, services 58% (2003)

Unemployment rate 3.6% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line 40% (2003 est.)

International Issues Prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and infrastruc- ture in the border region have strained water-sharing arrangements with the US; the US has stepped up efforts to stem nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of the world from illegally crossing the border with Mexico

Source: The CIA World Fact Book http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mx.html 31 | www.ums.org/education TitleMexico Yesterday and Today At least three great civilizations—the Mayas, the Olmecs, and later the Toltecs— For more indepth preceded the wealthy Aztec Empire, conquered in 1519–1521 by the Spanish information on under Hernando Cortés. Spain ruled Mexico as part of the viceroyalty of New Mexican history, Spain for the next 300 years until Sept. 16, 1810, when the Mexicans first go to: revolted. They won independence in 1821.

www.mexonline. From 1821 to 1877, there were two emperors, several dictators, and enough com/history presidents and provisional executives to make a new government on the average of every nine months. Mexico lost Texas (1836), and after defeat in the war with the U.S. (1846–1848), it lost the area that is now California, Nevada, and Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1855, the Indian patriot Benito Juárez began a series of reforms, including the disestablishment of the Catholic Church, which owned vast property. The subsequent civil war was interrupted by the French invasion of Mexico (1861) and the crowning of Maximilian of Austria as emperor (1864). He was overthrown and executed by forces under Juárez, who again became president in 1867.

The years after the fall of the dictator Porfirio Diaz (1877–1880 and 1884–1911) were marked by bloody political-military strife and trouble with the U.S., culminating in the punitive U.S. expedition into northern Mexico (1916–1917) in unsuccessful pursuit of the revolutionary Pancho Villa. Since a brief civil war in 1920, Mexico has enjoyed a period of gradual agricultural, political, and social reforms. The Partido Nacional Revolucionario (PNR; National Revolutionary Party), dominated by revolutionary and reformist politicians from northern Mexico, was established in 1929; it continued to control Mexico throughout the 20th century and was renamed the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI; Institutional Revolutionary Party) in 1946. Mexican president and Relations with the U.S. were disturbed in 1938 national hero, when all foreign oil wells were expropriated, but a compensation agreement was Benito Juárez reached in 1941. Following World War II, the government emphasized economic growth. During the mid-1970s, under the leadership of President José López Portillo, Mexico became a major petroleum producer. By the end of Portillo’s term, however, Mexico had accumulated a huge external debt because of the government’s unrestrained borrowing on the strength of its petroleum revenues. The collapse of oil prices in 1986 cut Mexico’s export earnings. In Jan. 1994, Mexico joined Canada and the United States in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which will phase out all tariffs over a 15-year period, and in Jan. 1996, it became a founding member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

32 | www.ums.org/education Title In 1995, the U.S. agreed to prevent the collapse of Mexico’s private banks. In return, the U.S. won virtual veto power over much of Mexico’s economic policy. In 1997, in what observers called the freest elections in Mexico’s history, the PRI lost control of the lower legislative house and the mayoralty of Mexico City in a stunning upset. To increase democracy, President Ernesto Zedillo said in 1999 that he would break precedent and not personally choose the next PRI presidential nominee. Several months later, Mexico held its first presidential primary, which was won by former interior secretary Francisco Labastida, Zedillo’s closest ally among the candidates.

In elections held on July 2, 2000, the PRI lost the presidency, ending 71 years of one-party rule. Vicente Fox Quesada, of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), took 43% of the vote to Labastida’s 36%. Fox vowed tax reform, an overhaul of the legal system, and a reduction in power of the central government. By 2002, however, Fox had made little headway on his ambitious reform agenda. Disfavor with Fox was evident in 2003 parliamentary elections, when the PRI rebounded, winning 224 of the 500 seats in the lower house. After the elections, Fox admitted publicly that many Mexicans were disappointed with his government thus far.

In 2004, a two-year investigation into the “dirty war,” which Mexico’s authoritarian government waged against its opponents in the 1960s and 1970s, led to an indictment—later dropped—against former president Luis Echeverria for ordering the 1971 shooting of student protesters.

An attempt to bring criminal charges against Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the enormously popular leftist mayor of Mexico City, were dropped in May 2005 after a huge public rally in favor of the mayor took place. López Obrador was accused of a technical offense, breaching a court order involving the construction of an access road in the city, which could have blocked his intended run for the presidency in 2006. Many believe that the charges were politically motivated, so that López Obrador could not run against the deeply unpopular incumbent, Vicente Fox.

Current Mexican president, Vincente Fox

33 | www.ums.org/education TitleTimeline of Mexican History 10000 BC Human settlement established in the Valley of Mexico.

9000-1200 BC The beginning of agriculture with the cultivation of corn.

1200-400 BC Pre-classical period. Mayan settlement begins in the southern low lands.

400-900 BC Classical period. Building of large cities and ceremonial centers.

900-1000 AD Beginning of post-Classical period. Most cities are mysteriously abandoned.

1345 Aztecs found the site of present day Mexico City.

1517 Spanish navigator Hernández de Córdova arrives in Mexico.

1519 Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors arrive in Tenochtitlán.

1520 Hundreds of Indians murdered in Alverado’s massacre known as Noche Triste (no-chay TREE-stay) or Sad Night.

August 1521 After a 75 day seige, Tenochtitlán falls to the Spanish.

1530 King Carlos V declares Mexico City capital of the “New Spain”.

1566 Martín Cortés instigates first revolt against centralized from Spain.

1571 Spanish Inquisition is established in Mexico

1692 Riot in Mexico City. The Viceroyal Palace and City Hall are set on fire.

1810-21 Mexico’s War of Independence from Spain.

September 1821 Indepedence is declared with the arrival of General Agustín de Iturbide.

1823 The Mexican Constitution is announced, with the establishment of a federal republic.

1846-8 President Santa Anna declares war on the United States; Mexico cedes the land that now makes up Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

34 | www.ums.org/education \ Title

1855 Benito Juárez orders confiscation of Catholic Church property; Church is separated from State.

1862 The Battle of Puebla. Invading French forces defeated by National Army.

1867 Mexican Republic re-established and Benito Juárez declared president.

1876-1910 General Porfirio Díaz is president, then dictator.

November 1910 Armed rebellion finally ousts Díaz from office.

1917 New constitution announced; Venustiano Carranza elected president.

1918 Emiliano Zapata is assassinated.

1929 Formation of the first official political party, the Partido Nacional Revolucionario- now the leading Partido Revolucionario Institucional.

1968 Student uprising in Mexico City.

1986 Mexico enters GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)

1994 North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, the United States, and Canada goes into effect.

January 1994 Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN), campaign for land distribution and human rights issues.

February 1996 EZLN signs the first of six peace accords with the Mexican goverment.

1997 Long ruling PRI loses control of the lower legislative house and the mayoralty of Mexico City.

2000 President Vicente Fox is elected President of Mexcio ending the PRI’s 71 year control of the presidency. His current term is over in 2006.

September 2006 Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is proclaimed the winner of the presidential election by the Federal Electoral Tribunal after two months of review and specula- tion. He will be sworn in on December 1, 2006.

35 | www.ums.org/education Lesson Plans

Student busily working during a UMS in-school visit. Curriculum Connections Are you interested Introduction in more lesson plans? The following lessons and activities offer suggestions intended to be used in preparation for the UMS Youth Performance. These lessons are meant to be both Visit the Kennedy fun and educational, and should be used to create anticipation for the performance. Center’s ArtsEdge Use them as a guide to further exploration of the art form. Teachers may pick and web site, the choose from the cross-disciplinary activities and can coordinate with other subject nation’s most area teachers. You may wish to use several activities, a single plan, or pursue a comprehensive single activity in greater depth, depending on your subject area, the skill level or source of arts- maturity of your students and the intended learner outcomes. based lesson plans. Our Lesson Plans Are Now Online!

www.artsedge. Lesson plans were created by the Multi-cultural Education classes at the University of Michigan-Dearborn to help enrich your study of Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico kennedy-center. de México and make it come alive for your students. We hope that this new online org format will make it easier for teachers to adapt the lesson plans for their own class- rooms. The plans can bee accessed at www.ums.org/education.

Lessons plans available for download are:

1. The Mexican Hat Dance: Art Projects for Young Children (Grades K-2)

2. Comparing Geography (Grades 3-12)

3. Melody, Harmony and Rhythm (Grades K-6)

4. What is Syncopation (Grades K-6)

5. Appreciating the Performance (Grades 3-12)

Learner Outcomes

• Each student will develop a feeling of self-worth, pride in work, respect, appreciation and understanding of other people and cultures, and a desire for learning now and in the future in a multicultural, gender-fair, and ability- sensitive environment.

• Each student will develop appropriately to that individual’s potential, skill in reading, writing, mathematics, speaking, listening, problem solving, and examining and utilizing information using multicultural, gender-fair and ability-sensitive materials.

• Each student will become literate through the acquisition and use of knowledge appropriate to that individual’s potential, through a comprehensive, coordinated curriculum, including computer literacy in a multicultural, gender-fair, and ability-sensitive environment. 37 | www.ums.org/education Meeting Michigan Standards UMS can help you ARTS EDUCATION meet Michigan’s Standard 1: Performing All students will apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts. Standard 2: Creating All students will apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts. Curricular Standard 3: Analyzing in Context All students will analyze, describe, and evaluate works of art. Standards! Standard 4: Arts in Context All students will understand, analyze and describe the arts in their historical, social, and cultural contexts. Standard 5: Connecting to other Arts, other Disciplines, and Life All students will recognize, The activities in this analyze and describe connections among the arts; between the arts and other disciplines; study guide, between the arts and everyday life. combined with the live performance, are aligned with Michigan ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Standard 3: Meaning and Communication All students will focus on meaning and communica- Standards and tion as they listen, speak, view, read, and write in personal, social, occupational, and civic Benchmarks. contexts. Standard 6: Voice All students will learn to communicate information accurately and effectively For a complete list of and demonstrate their expressive abilities by creating oral, written and visual texts that Standards and enlighten and engage an audience. Benchmarks, visit the Michigan Department of Education online: SOCIAL STUDIES Standard I-1: Time and Chronology All students will sequence chronologically eras of American history and key events within these eras in order to examine relationships and to explain www.michigan.gov/ cause and effect. mde Standard I-3: Analyzing and Interpreting the Past All students will reconstruct the past by comparing interpretations written by others from a variety of perspectives and creating narratives from evidence. Standard II-1: People, Places, and Cultures All students will describe, compare and explain the locations and characteristics of places, cultures and settlements. Standard VII-1: Responsible Personal Conduct All students will consider the effects of an individual’s actions on other people, how one acts in accordance with the rule of law and how one acts in a virtuous and ethically responsible way as a member of society.

MATH Standard I-1: Patterns Students recognize similarities and generalize patterns, use patterns to create models and make predictions, describe the nature of patterns and relationships and construct representations of mathematical relationships. Standard I-2: Variability and Change Students describe the relationships among variables, predict what will happen to one variable as another variable is changed, analyze natural variation and sources of variability and compare patterns of change. Standard III-3: Inference and Prediction Students draw defensible inferences about unknown outcomes, make predictions and identify the degree of confidence they have in their pre- dictions.

SCIENCE Standard I-1: Constructing New Scientific Knowledge All students will ask questions that help them learn about the world; design and conduct investigations using appropriate methodology and technology; learn from books and other sources of information; com- municate their findings using appropriate technology; and reconstruct previously learned knowledge. Standard IV-4: Waves and Vibrations All students will describe sounds and sound waves; explain shadows, color, and other light phenomena; measure and describe vibrations and waves; and explain how waves and vibrations transfer energy.

38 | www.ums.org/education

CAREER & EMPLOYABILITY Standard 1: Applied Academic Skills All students will apply basic communication skills, apply scientific and social studies concepts, perform mathematical processes and apply technology in work-related situations. Standard 2: Career Planning All students will acquire, organize, interpret and evaluate informa- tion from career awareness and exploration activities, career assessment and work-based experiences to identify and to pursue their career goals. Standard 3: Developing and Presenting Information All students will demonstrate the ability to combine ideas or information in new ways, make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas and organize and present information in formats such as symbols, pictures, schemat ics, charts, and graphs. Standard 4: Problem Solving All students will make decisions and solve problems by specifying goals, identifying resources and constraints, generating alternatives, considering impacts, choosing appropriate alternatives, implementing plans of action and evaluating results. Standard 5: Personal Management All students will display personal qualities such as responsibility, self-management, self-confidence, ethical behavior and respect for self and others. Standard 7: Teamwork All students will work cooperatively with people of diverse backgrounds and abilities, identify with the group’s goals and values, learn to exercise leadership, teach others new skills, serve clients or customers and contribute to a group process with ideas, suggestions and efforts.

TECHNOLOGY Standard 2: Using Information Technologies All students will use technologies to input, retrieve, organize, manipulate, evaluate and communicate information. Standard 3: Applying Appropriate Technologies All students will apply appropriate technologies to critical thinking, creative expression and decision-making skills.

WORLD LANGUAGES Standard 2: Using Strategies All students will use a varietry of strategies to communicate in a non- English language. Standard 8: Global Community All students will define and characterize the global community. Standard 9: Diversity All students will identify diverse languages and cultures throughout the world.

39 | www.ums.org/education Mexican and Dance Vocabulary

Adapated from TCAP and SPARKed – SPARK in Education (http://www.kqed.org/arts/spark/education/dancevocab.pdf)

Abstraction An idea or concept conveyed through movement and removed from its original context.

Accent A strong movement gesture.

Aesthetic criteria Standards applied in making judgments about the artistic merit of a work.

Alignment The relationship of the skeleton to the line of gravity and base of support.

Axial movement Movement anchored to one spot by a body park. Only the available space in any direction is used while the initial body contact is being maintained. Movement is organized around the axis of the body and is not designed travel from one location to another. Examples include stretching, bending, turning in place, gesturing.

Balance A state of equilibrium referring to the balance of weight or the spatial arrangement of bodies. Designs may be balanced on both sides of center (symmetrical) or balanced off center (asymmetrical).

Ballet A form of Western classical dance that originated in the Renaissance courts of Europe. The dance form was formally codified by the time of King Louis XIV (mid-1600s), who was an accomplished dancer, responsible for extensive notation as well as support for dance.

Body knowledge Awareness of one’s body, and its possibilities, capabilities and limitations.

Canon A passage, movement sequence, or piece of music in which the parts are done in succession, overlapping one another.

Charro A traditional cowboy of Mexico.

Choreography Creation and composition of dances by arranging or inventing steps, movements, and pattern of movements.

Contrast To set side by side to emphasize differences; in dance, two movements that differ in energy, space (size, direction, level), design (symmetrical/asymmetrical, open/closed), timing (fast/slow, even/uneven), themes, or patterns. Mexican and Dance Vocabulary

Counterbalance A weight that balances another weight. In dance it usually refers to one or more dancers combining their weight in stillness or in motion to achieve a movement or design that is interdependent. Any limit moving in one direction must be given a counterweight. Dance Movement selected and organized for aesthetic purposes or as a medium of expression rather than for its function work or play.

Dance Movement selected and organized for aesthetic purposes or as a medium of expression rather than for its function work or play.

Dance forms The organization or plan for pattering movements; the overall structural organization of a dance or music composition (e.g. call and response, theme and variation, canon).

Dance phrase A partial dance idea composed of a series of connecting movements and similar to a sentence in the written form.

Dance sequence Order in which a series of movements and shape occurs.

Dance structures Manner in which a dance is constructed or organized; a supporting framework or the essential parts of a dance.

Dance study A short work of dance that investigates a specific idea or concept and shows a selection of movement ideas.

Dynamics Energy of movement expressed in varying intensities, accent, and quality. Focus In general, a gathering of forces to increase the projection of intent. In particular, it refers to a dancer’s line of sight.

Fandango Most important of the modern Spanish dances, for couples. The dance begins slowly and tenderly, the rhythm marked by the clack of castanets, snapping of fingers, and stomping of feet. The speed gradu- ally increases to a whirl of exhilaration. There is a sudden pause in the music toward the end of each figure when the dancers stand rigid in the attitude caught by the music.

Folk/traditional dance Dance associated with a nationalistic purpose, usually performed today as a surviving portion of a tradi- tional celebration and done for social gatherings or as recreation.

Force/energy An element of dance characterized by the release of potential energy into kinetic energy. It utilized body weight, reveals the effects of gravity on the body, is projected into space, and affects emotional and spatial relationships and intentions. The most recognized qualities of movement are sustained, percus- sive, suspended, swinging, and collapsing. Mexican and Dance Vocabulary

Genre A particular kind or style of dance, such as ballet, jazz, modern, folk, tap.

Gesture Movement of a body part or combination of parts, with emphasis on its expressive characteristics, including movements of the body not supporting weight.

Improvisation Movement created spontaneously, which ranges from freeform to highly structured environments, always including an element of chance.

Isolated movement Movement executed with one body part or a small part of the body. Examples are rolling the head, shrugging the shoulders, and rotating the pelvis.

Jazz dance Dance marked by movement isolations and complex, propulsive polyrhythms; an outgrowth of African-American ragtime, jazz, spirituals, blues, work songs, and so forth and is considered an American style of dance.

Kinesthetics Physics principles that govern motion, flow, and weight in time and space, including, for example, the law of gravity, balance, and centrifugal force.

Locomotion A form of physical movement progressing from one place to another. Basic locomotion movements include walking, running, galloping, jumping, hopping, skipping, sliding, leaping.

Mariachi A type of musical group, originally from Mexico, consisting of at least two violins, two trumpets, one guitar, one vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar) and one guitarrón (a small-scaled acous- tic bass).

Modern dance A type of dance that began as a rebellion against steps and positions and values expressive and original or authentic movement. It is a twentieth century idiom.

Mestizo Mexican people of both Spanish and native Indian heritage.

Mojigangas Large puppets figures made of cardboard, paper and cloth used to represent living or imaginary characters in Mexican folk dances.

Motif A distinctive and recurring gesture used to provide a theme or unifying idea. Mexican and Dance Vocabulary

Movement pattern A repeated sequence of movement ideas, a rhythmic movement sequence, a spatial design on the floor or in the air, or a specific relationship or grouping of people.

Movement problem An idea or task that serves as a point of departure for dance exploration and composing, usually with specific criteria.

Musical phrasing A grouping and articulation of a group of notes that form a logical unit.

Musicality A dancer’s attention and responsiveness to musical elements.

Partner/group skills Skills requiring cooperation, coordination, and dependence, including imitation, lead and follow, echo, mirroring, and call and response.

Pathways A line along which a person or part of the person, such as an arm or head, moves (e.g., her arm took a circular path, or he traveled along a zigzag pathway).

Principles of Composition The presence of unity, continuity (transitions), and variety (contrasts and repetition) in choreography.

Projection A confident presentation of one’s body and energy to communicate movement and meaning clearly to an audience.

Repetition Duplication of a movement or movements phrases within dance choreography.

Retrograde To reverse the order of a sequence of dance choreography.

Rhythm A structure of movement patterns in time; a movement with a regular succession of string and weak elements; the pattern produced by emphasis and duration of notes in music.

Shape A position of the body in space, such as curved, straight, angular, twisted, symmetrical, asymmetrical, etc.

Skills Technical abilities, specific movements, or combinations. Mexican and Dance Vocabulary

Social dance Dance performed in a social setting; traditionally referred to as ballroom dance, but including all popular social dances performed with or without partners.

Space An element of dance that refers to the immediate spherical space surrounding the body in all direc- tions. Use of space includes shape, direction, path, range, and level of movement. Space is also the location of a performed dance.

Spatial Of or relating to space or existing in space. Tap dance A type of dance that concentrates on footwork and rhythm. This type of dance grew out of American popular dancing, with significant roots in African-American, Irish, and English clogging traditions.

Tap dance A type of dance that concentrates on footwork and rhythm. This type of dance grew out of American popular dancing, with significant roots in African-American, Irish, and English clogging traditions.

Technique Physical skills of a dancer that enable him or her to execute the steps and movements required in different dances. Different styles or genres of dance often have specific techniques.

Tempo The speed of music or a dance.

Time An element of dance involving rhythm, phrasing, tempo, accent, and duration. Time can be metered, as in music, or based on body rhythms, such as breath, emotions, and heartbeat.

Transition When a movement, phrase, or section of a dance progresses into the next.

Unison Dance movement that takes place at the same time in a group.

Unity A feeling of completion or wholeness in a dance achieved when all of the parts work well together.

Variety A quantity or range of different things. To maintain audience interest, the choreographer must pro- vide variety within the development of the dance. Contrasts in the use of space, force, and spatial designs as well as some repetition of movements and motifs provide variety.

Work A piece of choreography or a dance. Dance Vocabulary Word-o

FREE SPACE

Before the game begins, fill in each box with one of the vocabulary words or phrases below. Your teacher will call out the definition for one of the words below. If you’ve got the matching word on your board, cover the space with your chip. When you’ve got a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row of five chips, call out WORD-O! folk dance rhythm space social dance ballet partner/group skill improvisation kinesthetics locomotion choreography accent mariachi projection dance mojigangas mestizo variety fandango force/energy tempo Resources UMS FIELD TRIP PERMISSION TitleSLIP Dear Parents and Guardians,

We will be taking a field trip to see a University Musical Society (UMS) Youth Performance of Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico de México on Friday, September 22 from 11am-12pm at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor.

We will travel (please circle one) • by car • by school bus • by private bus • by foot Leaving school at approximately ______am and returning at approximately ______pm.

The UMS Youth Performance Series brings the world’s finest performers in music, dance, theater, opera, and world cultures to Ann Arbor. This performance features Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico de México We (circle one) • need • do not need additional chaperones for this event. (See below to sign up as a chaperone.)

Please (circle one) • send • do not send lunch along with your child on this day.

If your child requires medication to be taken while we are on the trip, please contact us to make arrangements.

If you would like more information about this Youth Performance, please visit the Education section of www.ums.org/education. Copies of the Teacher Resource Guide for this performance are available for you to download.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me at ______or send email to ______. Please return this form to the teacher no later than ______.______

Sincerely,

------

My son/daughter, ______, has permission to attend the UMS Youth Performance on Friday, September 22, 2006. I understand that transportation will be by ______.

I am interested in chaperoning if needed (circle one). • yes • no

Parent/Guardian Signature______Date______

Relationship to student ______

Daytime phone number______

Emergency contact person______

Emergency contact phone number______

47 | www.ums.org/education TitleInternet Resources Visit UMS Online Arts Resources

www.ums.org/ www.ums.org/education education The official website of UMS. Visit the Education section (www.ums.org/education) for study guides, information about community and family events and more information about the UMS Youth Education Program.

www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org The nation’s most comprehensive web site for arts education, including lesson plans, arts education news, grant information, etc.

Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico de México

http://www.balletamalia.com/ - The official website of the Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico de México. Site includes cast biographies, a history of the company, news and fun facts about the company. This site is in both English and Spanish.

Folkloric Dance

http://www.alegria.org/rgndance.html A guide to the regional dances of Mexico. A Mexican map allows students to pick a geographic location and explore the costume, music, and dances of the particular region.

Mexico

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/mxtoc.html - A comprehensive country study by the Library of Congress, including Mexican history, economics, government, and politics.

http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/mexico/ - Latin American Network Information Center based at the Univerisity of Texas-Austin facilitates access to Internet-based information to, from, or on Latin America.

www.elmonterey.com/mexicanculture/festivals.aspx - A guide to Mexican holidays and festivals

http://mexicanfood.about.com/ - This site includes a Mexican cuisine photo gallery along with thousands of recipes

http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/interactive-timeline.html - An interactive timeline of Mexican and U.S. border history created by PBS.

Although UMS previewed each web site, we recommend that teachers check all web sites before introducing them to students, as content may have changed since this guide was published. 48 | www.ums.org/education Recommended ReadingTitle PRIMARY & ELEMENTARY GRADES There are many more Alarcon, Francisco X. Angels Ride Bikes: And Other Fall Poems (Children’s Book books available! Press; Bilingual edition, 1999).

Alarcon, Francisco X. From the Bellybutton of the Moon and Other Summer Just visit Poems (Children’s Book Press; Bilingual edition, 1998). www.amazon.com

Alarcon, Francisco X. Iguanas in the Snow: and Other Winter Poems (Children’s Book Press; Bilingual edition, 2001).

Alarcon, Francisco X. Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems (Children’s Book Press; Bilingual edition, 1997).

Ancona, George, Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy. Mis Bailes/My Dances (Somos Latinos/We Are Latinos) (Children’s Press, 2005).

Cavalier, Debbie, E. B. Jurey, Maria Arias Cruz, eds. Mexican Folk Dances (World Dance Series) (CPP/Belwin, 1994).

Freedman, Russell. Stories of Mexico’s Independence Days and Other Bilingual Children’s Fables, (University of New Mexico Press, 2005).

Galindo, Mary Sue. Icy Watermelon/ Sandía Fría (Arte Publico Press; Bilingual edition, 2001).

Mathews, Sally Schofer. The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss (Clarion Books, 2001).

Nye, Naomi Shihab. The Tree Is Older Than You Are : A Bilingual Gathering of Poems & Stories from Mexico, (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 1995).

Ober, Hal & Carol Ober. How Music Came to the World : An Ancient Mexican Myth (Houghton Mifflin, 1994).

Wilson Sanger, Amy. Hola Jalapeno (World Snacks), (Tricycle Press, 2002).

Winner, Ramona Moreno. Lucas and His Loco Beans: A Tale of the Mexican Jumping Bean, (Brainstorm Three Thousand, 2002).

UPPER MIDDLE & SECONDARY GRADES

Bierhorst, John. The Mythology of Mexico and Central America (HarperCollins Publishers, 1990).

Joseph, G. M., Timothy J. Henderson, Gilbert M. Joseph, eds. The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The Latin America Readers) (Duke University Press, 2003).

Sheehy, Daniel. Mariachi Music in America : Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (Global Music Series) (Oxford University Press, USA, 2005). 49 | www.ums.org/education

TitleCommunity Resources University Musical Society University of Michigan These groups and Burton Memorial Tower organizations can 881 N. University Ave help you to learn Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1101 more about this 734.615.0122 topic. [email protected] www.ums.org/education

Fantasia 2000, Ballet de Maria Luz Valdez Maria Luz Valdez 531 Ash St. Lansing, MI. 48906 517.372.3023 [email protected]

Casa de Unidad 1920 Scotten Detroit, Ml 48209 313.843.9598 http://casadeunidad.com/

Latinos Unidos, Inc Cecilia Fileti P.O. Box 131527 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113 866.249.8600 [email protected] www.milatinosunidos.org

Artes Unidas de Michigan Ana Cardona [email protected] www.artesunidas.org/

University of Michigan Latin American and Caribbean Studies 2607 Social Work/ International Institute Bldg. 1080 South University St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106 734.763.0553 lacs.offi[email protected] www.umich.edu/~iinet/lacs/

Wayne State University’s Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies 3324 Faculty Administration Building 656 W. Kirby Detroit, MI 48202 313.577.4378 [email protected] www.clas.wayne.edu/cbs/ 50 | www.ums.org/education Evening Performance Info Title Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico de México To purchase UMS Thursday, September 21, 8 PM tickets: Hill Auditorium Online Mexico’s national dance company returns to Ann Arbor for the first time since www.ums.org 1999 for a special Hill Auditorium performance. Founded in 1952 by dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklórico de México got its start as a small company that produced dances based on Mexican folkloric traditions for a By Phone television show. Hernández, whose work is based on the venerated folkloric and (734) 764-2538 dance traditions of her country, said, “The folklore in Mexico is very rich. I use the classic ballet as the technique. Only the technique, but not the choreography. All the choreography is based on the style and the roots of Mexican folklore.” Hill Auditorium was host to many folkloric dance companies before the Power Center was built, including the UMS debut of Ballet Folklórico de México in 1963.

TEEN Ticket In response to the needs of our teen audience members, the University Musical Society has implemented the TEEN Ticket. All teens can attend UMS events at a significant discount. Tickets are available for $10 the day of the performance at the Michigan League Ticket Office, or for 50% off the published price at the venue 90 minutes before the performance begins. One ticket per student ID.

51 | www.ums.org/education TitleUpcoming Teacher Workhops To register: As part of the Kennedy Center Partners in Education Program, the University Musical Society, the Ann Arbor Public Schools, and the Washtenaw Intermediate By Phone School District are pleased to present the following workshops highlighting Mexico (734) 615-0122 and the Americas for teachers. Open to all educators, student teachers, and community members, the workshops provide concrete methods for enhancing student learning in, through, and about the arts Refreshments are served at all workshops. By E-Mail umsyouth@ Interdisciplinary Connections: Enriching the Study of Mexican Culture umich.edu Led by Sandi Hammonds Tuesday, January 30, 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM Teaching and Learning Center, WISD 1819 South Wagner Road, Ann Arbor Recommended: Educators of Grades 8–12 Fee: $30

Teachers discover how the study of visual art can enrich language acquisition and appreciation of other cultures. At this workshop, participants explore the art and culture of Mexico through two art strategies: 1) Aesthetic Scanning, a systematic method for critically analyzing and responding to art, and 2) Point of View, an approach that encourages students to examine the point of view of an artist from another culture. Applications for making connections to other cultures and other areas of the curriculum are discussed. A collaboration with the University of Michigan Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Sandi Hammonds is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence/Young Adulthood Art with 37 years of teaching experience, including AP Studio Art and International Baccalaureate. She was a member of the writing team for the Virginia Standards of Learning in the Arts and has worked extensively on visual art curriculum for Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia. She conducts a variety of workshops and in-service training programs for kindergarten through university teachers of the visual arts, English, foreign language, and social studies. She is currently adjunct faculty at George Washington University in the Graduate School of Education. Sandi is a painter and printmaker and her studio work involves research into the artistic/cultural connections of indigenous peoples to their traditions and their land. Her current artistic focus is on Mexico, Central and South America and the related social and cultural issues, which she expresses through her paintings.

Mexican Arts Immersion Led by Casa de Unidad and the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) Saturday, March 10, 10 AM - 5 PM Tuesday, April 24, 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM Mexican Town, Detroit Recommended: Educators of Grades K–12 Fee: $85

Day Overview: Morning – Mexican History and Migration; Cultural Celebrations and Crafts Midday – Mexican Lunch; Tour of Mexican Town and Detroit Murals Afternoon – Mexican Visual Art at the DIA

52 | www.ums.org/education

Title Bus transportation provided from Ann Arbor to Detroit. This day-long workshop To register: highlights the history of Mexican culture from Mexico up to southeastern Michigan. By Phone (734) 615-0122 Workshop sessions will focus on the relationship between Mexican art, social issues, and traditional celebrations, as well as the presentation and representation of Latino Art. Comprehensive materials will provide educators with resources, reminders, and guides for sharing the significance of Mexican arts with students, By E-Mail colleagues, and friends. The participatory nature of the workshop allows for umsyouth@ authentic learning, and the day-long format provides an in-depth experience. umich.edu

Los Folkloristas: The Music of Mexico and the Americas Led by Los Folkloristas Tuesday, April 24, 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM Teaching and Learning Center, WISD 1819 South Wagner Road, Ann Arbor Recommended: Educators of Grades K–12 Fee: $30

From the Rio Bravo River to Cape Horn, the musical traditions and styles of Mexico, Central America, and South America are vast and diverse. For 40 years, the members of Los Folkloristas have traveled this terrain to research traditional music of Latin America; they have been to small communities working with village elders and large towns working with learned practitioners. Now they travel to Ann Arbor to share with educators their first-hand experiences, as well as their profound knowledge of the music and cultures of the region. Teachers will truly begin to understand and explore the music of Mexico and the Americas as Los Folkloristas play some of the 100 rare and standard instruments in their collection.

Registration To register for all workshops, please call (734) 615.0122 or email [email protected].

All teachers must register and pay for workshops in advance. If paying with check, a credit card number must be submitted upon registration to reserve spot until payment is received.

Teachers bringing students to a the Los Folkloristas youth performance receive a $10 discount on the April 24 workshop.

Teachers will be charged for the workshops for which they are registered regard- less of whether they actually attend. Teachers can cancel registration up to five business days in advance.

***For Ann Arbor Public School Teachers – AAPS will reimburse teachers who sign up for each workshop, subject to availability. Teachers who miss the workshop may not apply for reimbursement.

***For Washtenaw Intermediate School District Teachers – WISD will reimburse the first five teachers who sign up for each workshop. Teachers who miss the workshop may not apply for reimbursement.

53 | www.ums.org/education Send Us Your Feedback! UMS wants to know what teachers and students think about this Youth Performance. We hope you’ll send us your thoughts, drawings, letters or reviews.

UMS Youth Education Program Burton Memorial Tower • 881 N. University Ave. • Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011 (734) 615-0122 phone • (734) 998-7526 fax • [email protected] www.ums.org/education