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[Enlarge] The ‘Dance of the Old Men’ in the Plaza Las Armas in Morelia.

It has been a long time since I have written. I have been posting fotos, but you would hardly know unless you have been watching my gallery. I have no excuse—I have been very busy at work and for some reason I just fell out of the habit. It happens. This weekend I am in Morelia, in my condo. In many ways I would rather be home in Cueramaro, but sometimes things just don’t work out. I love Morelia, but I also love our home so I am always caught between the two.

This morning I was reading the news and trying to get motivated for what needed to be done today when I noticed a link on the website of Emily and Sergio of a family dance group I had seen a few weeks ago. It reminded me of all (!) the fotos and stories I owe my readers – so here is the first in what I hope will be a long string.

Easter is a big holiday in Mexico and most businesses take some time off. We didn’t get a great deal of time, but I did get down to the Plaza Las Armas one afternoon and get a little while to relax. As I was walking along, I saw a group starting to perform a traditional dance in the costume of the Purpecha natives. The dance is called “The Dance of the Old Men” and it was very well performed by a family group. They dance bent over with a cane that has a fork at the top that makes it resemble a deer’s head. But the bent over posture doesn’t mean this is a slow dance. They are wearing flat sandals that they slap against the concrete in a sort of tap dance. It is a loud, rapid-fire sound that brings people from all over to watch.

[Enlarge] In the bent over pose of an old man, this dancers feet are moving so fast the vibration knocks off his hat. But the colors of the streamers made this a foto to keep regardless.

The family does a funny dance where they line up from tallest to shortest like a line of old men. They each put their cane out behind them to lead next old man in the line. The next to last one though keeps moving the stick whenever the last one in the line (and the littlest one) tries to grab it. So, with feet tapping at a furious rate all the while, they snake around with the little one trying to keep up. It is a very funny scene that everyone always enjoys because at the end of the dance, the two ahead of the little one who are trying to lose him get their feet tangled up and fall in a heap. Of course the little one catches up to the rest and leaves the two conspirators thrashing to get up.

The musical instruments used by the group that backs up the dancers are as unique as the dancers themselves. The guitar player plays a modified instrument with only three frets and a pick board that is above the hole and not beside it. The result is a more percussive sound that matches the dancers feet. The bass is smaller than a concert string bass, something between a cello and a bass that is easier to carry around. The adaption of instruments is common in Mexico and is part of what gives much of Mexican music a unique sound. Now I freely admit you cannot possibly understand what is going on from these pictures—so here is the link that Emily and Sergio pointed out on uTube of the same dancers, in the same place. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was posted on January 30th, I would think it was the same day. There are a few more fotos of the dancers and some new fotos of Morelia during Easter Week here.

wp:thumb xsrc=”2006-04-13-4.jpg” mce_src=”2006-04-13-4.jpg” cap=”The band plays behind in the spring evening.”—> ->