One night while having a drink with a Mexican artist friend I said that living in Mexico was like living in a dream and matched well the popular saying," I am living my dream", although it is a different kind of dream state. This "dream" is not entirely one that I have imagined, for I had no preconceived ideas of what life in Mexico would be like. I had never been here before nor had known anyone who had . Yes , living with symbols was my preferred way to live. But the symbols were of my culture, my background. I realize now these symbols had meanings passed to me from my ancestry. The meanings of which had come from my country, my relatives. They were familiar. They had roots in a way of life I and everyone else I knew was living.
My friend, Cristina, had grown up in Mexico City and was of Spanish descent. She explained that life in Mexico was very much a surrealistic life. That here , there were many thousands of years of history layered into many cultures each on top of the other. The Spaniards had brought their Catholism and layered on top of the native traditions to create a bizarre symbols juxtaposed and blended into each other.These "native" dancers are recent additions to the culture. They have begun to express what they envision their ancestors might have been like, a sort of equivalent to what arose in the US as Native American Pride. But here in Mexico they dance elaborate dances in front of the Catholic churches and have incorporated their ceremonies into existing religious ceremonies.After, dancing they all enter the church for Mass.
They are finding a way to "christianize" their precolumbian roots so that it all blends together in one big happy soup.
My Canadian friend Clara took these great shots of Native dancers .
