Description
The Mexican Hat Dance is an English nickname for the Jarabe tapatío – the national dance of Mexico. It emerged during the nineteenth century as a courtship dance and has its roots in popular Hispanic dances brought over during Spanish colonization in the sixteenth century. The dance was hugely popular in Mexico but was soon banned by the colonial religious authorities as it was considered morally offensive. However, this only served to make it more popular as a form of protest against foreign domination. Thus, when Mexico gained its independence in the early nineteenth century, this dance was assured its status as the country’s national expression of freedom.
The dance is nicknamed the Mexican hat dance, because during the dance, the man throws his hat at the feet of the woman. After she puts it on they dance together. It became internationally famous after Russian dancer Anna Pavlova added it to her permanent repertoire after visiting Mexico in 1919.
Arranged for bassoon quartet by Frances Jones.
