Day of the Dead THEATER

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Day of the Dead - THEATER DANCE
Calaveras" short poems or mocking epitaphs of
friends, are written for Day of the Dead
festivities, including things the deceased used
to do in life. These were often staged as skits
and performances. Theatrical presentations of
Don Juan Tenorio (above, right) by José Zorrilla
(18171893) are also traditional on this day.
Newspapers dedicate calaveras to public
figures, with cartoons of skeletons in the style
of José Guadalupe Posada (cartoon above).
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Don Juan Tenorio Don Juan Tenorio Drama
religioso-fantástico en dos partes (Don Juan
Tenorio Religious-Fantasy Drama in Two Parts),
is a play written in 1844 by José Zorrilla. It
is the more Romantic of the two principal
Spanish-language literary interpretations of the
myth of Don Juan. The other is the 1630 El
burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra (The
Seducer of Seville), which is attributed to Tirso
de Molina. Don Juan Tenorio owes a great deal
to this earlier version, as recognized by
Zorrilla himself in 1880 in his Recuerdos del
tiempo viejo (Memories of the Old Times),
although the author curiously confuses de Molina
with another writer of the same era, Agustín
Moreto.
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At a cemetery near Hollywood, California, in a
mixture of Mexican traditions and Hollywood hip,
conventional altars are set up side-by-side with
altars to Jayne Mansfield and Johnny Ramone.
Colorful native dancers and music intermix with
performance artists, while sly pranksters play on
traditional themes.
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DAY OF THE DEAD - DANCE
On the Day of the Dead people don wooden skull
masks called calacas and dance in honor of their
deceased relatives. The wooden skulls are also
placed on altars that are dedicated to the dead.
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Day of the Dead .Procession
The celebrations... represent the remembrance
of loved ones. The commemoration and offerings of
these days remind people that death is illusive,
that life is eternal, and the presence, however
intangible, of a departed loved one, is
everlasting.
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Danza de los Viejitos Pescado
Blanco Regional dances of Mexico. At
night, with everything ready, the dances begin.
The Danza de los Viejitos, Dance of the Old Men.
In pre-Hispanic times this dance was performed
as a ritual honoring the Sun. Another popular
dance is the Pescado Blanco, White Fish, when the
inhabitants of Janitzio express their gratitude
to the lake, since fishing is their most
important economical activity.
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The Mexican Dance Group, Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc,
write The indigenous cultures have always had
celebrations to rejoin with all those who have
departed from this world, usually around the
autumn equinox. The Dia de los Muertos is an
opportunity to make the children aware of their
past . through stories, art in a joyful
dancing and singing celebration about life and
death. Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc Mexica Dance
Group l [phone] for more information.
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FOLKLORICO DANCES FOR DAY OF THE DEAD CERMONIES
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Left Flam Chen is a Tucson-based, nationally
known pyrotechnic theater group that creates
narratives through music, movement and fire.
They'll be performing this year as part of the
downtown Dia De Los Muertos celebration. Right
A dancer performs during the opening ceremonies
inside the Peabody Museum.
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Sources for Day of the Dead Dances
Performances
D.E.V.A. (Divine Expressions of Vital
Alchemy DANCE COLLABORATIVE Facilitated by Debra
Sawyer Hazel Aura G.   DAY OF THE DEAD DANCE
-   part of The LAKE STREET CHURCH Experience
Rooted, Connected, Transformed 607 Lake St. /
Chicago Ave. Evanston  (cast In order of
appearance) Candace esslinger Drum call,
Materno de Altares in the north Weyler Greene
The Grim Reaper, Cuentisto Lee Stangland  The
observer Angel Linda ponterelli Drum call,
Materno de Altares in the south Michael Elliott
Ancestor Chuck Ginsberg Ancestor Debra Sawyer
Materno de Altres in the east Diane Yoder
Materno de Altres in the west Hazel Aura G.
Ancestor Jennifer VanTreeck Ancestor Catherine
Willows Ancestor