How to Dance the Danza De Los Viejitos

Supposedly, there was a time when old men in Michoacán, Mexico, danced jubilantly all through the night. Nowadays young people, mostly men, dress up like old men performing comic impersonations of the original dancers in the Danza de Los Viejitos, which literally means dance of the old men. Performed for hundreds of years, the dance now celebrates the Day of the Dead in Mexico.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sombrero
• Old man mask
• Cane
• Colorful ribbons

Dance the Danza de Los Viejitos

1. Dress the part. Perhaps the most important element in the Danza de Los Viejitos is the costume, which consists of a sombrero with colorful ribbons attached and Purepecha (indigenous people of Michoacán) style ponchos and clothing.

2. Wear an elaborate old man mask. Usually everyone in the dance wears matching carved wooden masks. Long braids of hair falls from the mask, swinging during the dance.

3. Use a cane for a prop. Besides being a crucial part of the costume, you should dance with your cane, leaning on it like an old man. If your use of the cane integrates well with the dance, it may be used to keep beat along with your dancing.

4. Remain upbeat throughout the dance. While the dance imitates old men, it depicts them as very active and lighthearted. While a dance may be made up of short acts with slow and quick parts, for the most part it stays very lively.

5. Learn the intricate dance moves, which are similar to tap dancing or ballet folklorico. Everyone in the dance moves in unison in carefully choreographed acts.

Learn the Danza de Los Viejitos

6. Contact the Mexican cultural center in your city, if there is one. The centers usually offer classes in traditional Mexican dancing, including the Danza de Los Viejitos.

7. Take ballet folklorico classes. You are most likely to find these classes in Texas and Southern California. Community centers for children and seniors often hold dance classes.

8. Visit Michoacán to study the dance in its place of origin. The Purepecha people are said to have a unique rhythm, which is the inspiration to the Danza de Los Viejitos. The ancestors of the indigenous culture keep the traditions alive.

Tips & Warnings

• Due to the speed and accuracy of the dance, the Danza de Los Viejitos may be too difficult for beginning dancers. If you have experience with tap, you may have a head start at learning the dance.