If you’re from South Texas or Mexico, it’s very likely that you have at least a small bit of knowledge as to what Mexican Folk Dancing is: the art of dancing in beautifully colored dresses, telling their own story through their dance movements. Mexican Folkloric Dancing is very important in Mexico as it is one of the many ways that the people of Mexico celebrate their culture, independence, and ancestors.

The Mexican Hat Dance is one of the most popular Mexican Folk dances in Mexico. Originating from the state of Jalisco, the Mexican Hat Dance became one of the most popular dances in Mexico and soon made its way to South Texas. Jalisco is not only home to the Mexican Hat Dance, but it is also home to mariachi bands, the China Poblana female and Charro male costumes, and other Jarabe dance forms.¹ 

The Mexican Hat Dance is usually performed by a couple (a man and a woman), where the dancers do not touch each other, but show the courtship between the each other.² The Mexican Hat Dance, also known as “el Jarabe,” is a dance of flirtation. In the beginning of the dance, the woman is shy and timid, while the man is attentive and persistent. In most versions, the man tosses his sombrero on the floor so that he and the woman can dance around it.³ Most people from Guadalajara (a city in Jalisco) call the Mexican Hat Dance “el Jarabe Tapatio.” Jarabe means a specific mestizo song and dance form, and Tapatío is a term that is used to refer to the people of Guadalajara.⁴ This is why dancing is such an important art in Mexico. Although there are many forms of el Jarabe (The Mexican Hat Dance), el Jarabe Tapatio is the most important to the people of Jalisco–especially the people of Guadalajara. El Jarabe Tapatio gives a name to the people of Guadalajara and it lets everyone who performs their dance know that they are performing the dance of Guadalajara. 

In the early 1900s, Anna Pavlova—a great Russian Ballerina—made the Mexican Hat Dance part of her repertoire and the Mexican Hat Dance became the “National Folk Dance” of Mexico.⁵ When Anna Pavlova fell in love with the dance and made it part of her repertoire in 1919, the ecstatic Mexican cultural authorities felt that it was an honor and that it could only mean that the Mexican Hat Dance was indeed the most important dance in Mexico. Thus it was decided, since it was such an important dance, that it should be danced wearing the “China Poblana” outfit. The outfit is a beautiful green, wide brimmed skirt with colorful sequence and a coordinating white blouse.⁶

The Jarabe Tapatío, or the Mexican Hat Dance, is a Mexican folk art that signifies the Mexican identity. Not only does it commemorate a sense of unity throughout the country of Mexico, it also showcases the traditions and culture of Mexico.⁷ Since its popularity came about during the Mexican Revolution, it brings a sense of cultural identity to the Mexican people: being able to showcase who they are and what they love through the beautiful art of dancing. Dancing in Mexico is a very important part of their culture as they use it to express themselves and to showcase who they are. The beauty and vividness of the dresses and the grace of the dancing are what have captivates audiences around the world.

Today, Mexican Folkloric dances are seen all throughout Mexico and all throughout South Texas. From festivals to basic social gatherings and even in dance competitions; not only is the Mexican Hat Dance seen, but many other forms of Mexican Folk dances are seen all throughout. Even in places like Fiesta, the ten-day long celebration that takes place in downtown San Antonio, citizens see Mexican Folkloric dancing take place all throughout the Fiesta celebration. The Mexican Hat Dance is not just a dance to the people of Mexico, rather, it is a way of showcasing to the rest of the world who the people of Mexico really are.