Where do festivals and rituals come from? Part of what makes anthropology so fascinating is researching the answer to that question. For a country like Mexico, which underwent a violent conquest in the 16th century, many rituals arose from the indigenous interpretation of old Catholic traditions. These provide a fascinating insight into what it was like to experience European lifestyles for the very first time, and how grotesque it all seemed. One example of this type of interpretation is the Chinelos dancing that began as a new spin on Carnival.
The Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica in the 16th century gave rise to the Chinelos dancing tradition. As the Catholic Europeans began to impose their religion and traditions on the local indigenous people, many natives came up with their own versions of certain rituals. This included Carnival, the circus-like festival held just before Lent in which people would parade around with masks, colorful costumes, and topsy-turvy role reversals. For the locals, newly under Spanish rule, this was their chance to mock European mannerisms and dress - the over-elaborate clothing, beards, salon dancing, and gloved hands.
The modern Chinelos costume was developed in the mid-1800s and early 1900s, making fun of the aristocrats involved in the French Intervention and President Porfirio Diaz's attempts to make Mexico more "European". The ritualized dance was developed in the tiny state of Morelos, where there were a large number of sugar plantations in the 19th century; the workers became increasingly impoverished as the foreign hacienda owners became wealthier and wealthier, and the workers vented their frustrations by mocking their overlords. The Chinelo dancers are an official symbol of Morelos, and it boasts the highest number of Chinelos dance troupes in the country. Dancers traditionally perform at Carnival each year, but dancers will also show up for other events; for many people, a festival is not complete without them. The tradition quickly spread through the south of Mexico, and became popular in places like Mexico City, Guerrero, and Cuernavaca.
Today, a basic Chinelos costume is made up of three main parts: a mask, a plumed hat, and a long flowing robe with a cape. The clothing items are lavishly decorated in feminine styles, whereas the masks feature European eyes, upturned beards, and rouged cheeks. Total androgyny is the overriding effect; the identity of the dancers are kept secret. An air of mystery is maintained by guarding the secret of who has donned which particular mask, and costumes are carefully hidden and protected to maintain secrecy. Costumes this elaborate come with a price tag: the quality and intricacy of the ensemble will be the deciding factor in price, with most of them ranging between 4,000 to 10,000 pesos each.
Very basic choreography is entailed for the dancers. They stand with their legs apart and their knees slightly bent; they shuffle twice, and then jump from one foot to the other, leading with the shoulder. This choreography has been passed down for generations, a corruption of the local perception of European dances. Most dancers are young men, as the costumes are very restrictive, hot, and heavy; being a dancer is a family tradition, and it is common for families to be a part of Chinelos dance group generation after generation.
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