THE 5 MOST IMPORTANT TYPICAL DANCES AND DANCES OF MORELOS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The typical dances and dances of Morelos are varied. The best known is the dance of the chinelos, which is used to dance at carnival and represents an act of rebellion by the indigenous people against the colonizers, who prevented them from participating in the festivities.

The traditional typical dances and dances of a country reflect the cultural roots of a people. They are generally held at parties or celebrations of some important event in the region.

Representative dance costume los chinelos

The tradition of these dances comes from pre-Hispanic times, although some are after the evangelization process carried out by the colonizers.

Some other typical dances of Morelos are the Tecuanes, the Vaqueritos, the Pastoras and the Apaches, among others.

You may also be interested in the traditions and customs of Morelos.

The 5 main typical baíles of Morelos

1- Dance of the chinelos

Also known as "jump of the chinelos", it is a dance of great excitement. It is done by jumping for joy to the rhythm of the music.

The participants wear very colorful costumes. This dance is represented in the carnival festivals and even in the festivals in honor of the saints, called patron saint festivals.

It was born in Tlayacapan and over time it has spread to all regions of the state: Yautepec, Oaxtepec, Oacalco, Cualtlixco, Jojutla, Totolapan and Tepoztlá.

This traditional dance has reached beyond the borders of Morelos, being recognized internationally.

2- Dance of the Tecuanes

This dance is also known as the tiger dance. In its original version it represents the persecution that a group of people do to a "tecuani" or beast that eats people, until they find him and cause his death.

In the best-known version of Morelos the story of a tiger that eats the animals of a farm is told. The owner of the farm calls some people to hunt him down.

The narration is done in the hybrid Nahuatl language. This is considered a theatrical dance.

3- The cowherd boys

Historians have not been able to pinpoint the origin of this typical dance, despite being a recent dance. It is thought to have originated in Axochiapan.

It is a dramatic dance; represents the agricultural activities of the town. Ten men dressed in jeans and a man dressed as a foreman or master of the farm participate in the dance.

4- Dance of Moors and Christians

It is a tradition that represents the struggle between Moors and Christians, where moments of triumph and moments of failure are dramatized. The dance is accompanied by dialogues with an indigenous nuance.

The men who dance represent the Moors dressed in red with white shirts, and the Christians dressed in pink with a blue cape.

Three Pilate are also represented, who dress in green and wear a wooden mask on their faces.

5- The dance of the shepherds

It is performed by women, who represent the Virgin Mary at religious festivals. Its objective is to worship and venerate the birth of the child God.

References

1. Encyclopedia of the Municipalities and Delegations of Mexico: Morelos. Taken from century.inafed.gob.mx
2. Horcasitas, F. The Dance of the Tecuanes. Taken from historicas.unam.mx
3. Anthropological Perspectives on Intangible Cultural Heritage. Volume 6 of SpringerBriefs in Environment, Security, Development and Peace. Editors Lourdes Arizpe, Cristina Amescua. Editing Springer Science & Business Media Editor, 2013.
4. Chávez A, (2012). Dance as a sociocultural practice in the community of Xoxocotla Morelos. National Pedagogical Unit. Mexico.
5. TEMASCALCINGO BY JOSÉ MARÍA VELASCO. Dance of the Shepherds. Taken from vivetemascalcingo.blogspot.com