“Yo creo que son mucho muy importantes [para conservar los bailes tradicionales] porque son nuestras raíces, nuestro origen…es parte de nuestro mestizajes con los españoles y es importante conservarlas porque es parte de nosotros. … lo que nos representa, lo que estamos representando, (por decir México tiene mucho que ofrecer a todos los países en cuanto a bailes, historia ) partes de los bailes son un historia, entonces es muy importante conservarlos … y trasmitirlas a las generaciones.”
“I believe that Mexican traditional dances are very, very important because they are our roots, our origins. It is part of our being mestizo with the Spanish and it is important to conserve our traditional dances because they are a part of us—these dances that we present, that we are representing. That is to say that Mexico has a lot to offer every country through its dances, its history; parts of the dance are our history, therefore it is very important to conserve them for future generations.”
--Luis Ramirez
I met Luiz Ramirez and María Isabelle Sosa at Generacion Diez of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Generacion Diez looks to improve the social and educational skills of children from migrant families in Adams County. On this Saturday morning, like many others, Luis and Isabelle were teaching traditional Mexican folk dances to a group of children and teenagers. After a particularly vigorous dance session, they take some time to talk to me about their stories and what traditional Mexican folk dance means to them.
"No se como decirlo. No podemos negar de donde venimos. Entonces, [baile tradicional] es una manera de que nos damos a conocer, para los que no nos conocen alguno relacionen con el clásicos Sombreo de Charro el vestuario de México. Entonces, hay que demostrar la inmensa cultura que tenemos dentro nuestro propio país.”
“I don’t know how to say this, but, we are not able to hide where we are from. Therefore, traditional dance is a way in which we can pass on the knowledge of our culture to those who do not know the relationship of the classic large sombreros and Charro dress to other typical clothes of Mexico. In other words, through dance we can demonstrate the immense culture that we have in our own country.”
--María I. SosaRamirez and Sosa have lived in the United States for six years. The were originally from the state of Guerrero, a small state in the southwest of Mexico. They first moved to Los Angeles, but after a year of high crime, drugs, and urban life they moved to Pennsylvania. They are hoping to form a professional dance troupe in Pennsylvania, but until that dream can be realized, they are content teaching local children. They both see dance as being very important for their students because it can work to give their students greater confidence. The children who work them form a very special bond, and according to Luis they form friendships that are better than those they may find in other places—it is another family. They told me, “Para un estudiante si es un poco difícil, pero le introducían es …es han un poquito que todo le que lo van y vamos a hacer una sentida de confidencia para que puedes mover y … darles una confidencia que los expresa.” ("For a student it can be very difficult but through an introduction to dance, they can learn a little and then they go, and we build a feeling of confidence through the movements, and they receive a confidence that they can express through the dance.”) They do find that it is hard to keep boys interested in dancing, however. The couple noted that it was hard to find boys to teach to dance because they are not encouraged by their families or culture to dance—it isn’t machismo enough.
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