Choreographed Culture: Mexican Folk Forms in American Modern Dance, 1935-1955.

Abstract

American modern dancers have turned to Mexican folk themes to inspire and inform their choreography since the turn of the century. My research examines the correlations and differences between the interpretations of Mexican folk forms by American modern dancers. How were Mexican-Americans portrayed in American modern dance? How did this portrayal change over time? Who was interpreting these cultural subjects? By framing dance as a cultural “import” and “export” item, I place the research in the broader context of U.S./Mexico relations from 1935-1955.