Can you learn Spanish and discover the culture it represents by finding out how it moves to the rhythm?
Definitely, and this selection of the most popular, interesting, contagious, and even extreme Mexican dance styles proves it.
Some types of Mexican dances tell pretty amazing stories. Others are part of the fabric that made the history of this wonderful country, while some are just so insane that you need to see them.
You can watch each of these Mexican dance styles on YouTube with the links below, or enjoy them all through the playlist I put together for this article! Enjoy some traditional Mexican dances!
Pro Tip
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Table of Contents
Mexican Dance Styles: From Jalisco To The World
1. El Jarabe Tapatio: Mexican Hat Dance
This dance is known as the “Mexican Hat Dance” and it’s the most famous and characteristic Mexican dance style. And you can see (or hear) why.
You must have heard its beautiful melody (originally composed by Jesús González Rubio) in dozens of pop culture depictions of Mexican culture. And maybe you've gotten it mixed up with “La Raspa”, a different song for a different dance.
Jarabe tapatío is actually one of many jarabe Mexican dance styles. It originated from the lands of what’s currently the state of Jalisco during colonial times, in the early 19th century (it was actually banned for some time by the Spanish authorities).
It involves couples symbolising courtship with energetic footwork, circular movements, and colourful costumes, typically ending with a symbolic gesture of union.
Mexican Dance Styles From The North
2. Polka Norteña
Starting with the rule of Emperor Maximilian I during the Second Mexican Empire, in the 1860s, European soldiers and immigrants took the polka and its main musical instrument (the accordion) to northern Mexico.
The story didn’t end well for Maximilian, but the music remained. And soon accordions started to be used for playing polka with a local twist, sometimes filling in for the horn parts (as they did with the waltz) and with the bajo sexto and the tarola joining in.
What polka norteña also inherited from Europe was the fast-paced dance style, with couples making short steps followed by a hop or lift, amazing spins and turns and quick foot changes.
But the costumes got a more local look: men usually wear cowboy hats, boots, jeans, and western-style shirts, while women wear a knee-length or longer dress, with Mexican dancing boots or dance shoes with a small heel.
3. Redova
Another of the Mexican dance styles that showcases the beautiful blend that European immigration produced in Mexico, redova is a local version of the Czech redowa that's more complex than the waltz but slower and more intimate and graceful than polka norteña.
Couples glide across the dance floor in a three-quarter time rhythm with the accordion once again taking centre stage.
Male dancers wear cowboy-style attire, and women’s flowing dresses highlight the twirling nature of the style.
4. Quebradita
With a more modern, intimate, and definitely acrobatic approach to dancing, the 90s saw the meteoric rise of this style that seemed to take northern Mexico (and even the Southwestern U.S.) by storm.
It was popularized by the technobanda musical subgenre, a fusion of the banda sinaloense and grupero styles that combined the strong presence of brass sounds with the use of electric guitars, keyboards and drums.
If you watch the video above, you’ll see that the dance starts with steps that, while including kicks you'd need space for, don't seem too dangerous.
That’s until this Mexican dancing style begins, with the male dancer lowering the female dancer’s back in order to pull her up quickly, and even make her body go horizontally behind him: it’s as exciting to watch as it is dangerous to try at home!
Mexican Dancing From The Central Region
5. Huapango
In this dance, a violin sets a lively melody, and couples do vigorous zapateo (stomping) all over the dance floor with amazingly coordinated movements that form different rows and shapes.
Their shouting and the band’s singing (with a characteristic falsetto ending some of the verses) join in, and the party atmosphere is undeniable. You can check out some of its main musical and vocal techniques, shown by Los Camperos de Valles.
Its typical version is the huapango huasteco, which is played in the regions of Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Tamaulipas, Puebla, Querétaro, and, with the variation of son arribeño, in Guanajuato.
But other varieties have appeared across Mexico, like:
- huapango norteño (which San Luis Potosí migrants took to Monterrey)
- huapango del sur (which you can witness in the state of Veracruz)
- huapango de mariachi (musically richer but without the stomping)
- and xochisones for religious festivities.
6. Danza De Los Viejitos
This dance originated in pre-Hispanic times via the Purépecha people. Four of their oldest men would perform the choreography as an offering for the Old God (Tata Jurhiata), asking for good harvests and other favours.
It got past the ban imposed by the Spanish, by being taught clandestinely, and made its way to current times.
This Mexican dance is still performed by four people (with a band and, sometimes, more acting or dancing characters), carrying canes and wearing colourful costumes, wooden sandals, a hat, and masks with old men's faces on them.
They usually start the ceremony with a slow, tired pace, but as the music becomes faster, their steps do too. High jumps and quick turns take advantage of the tapping sound of the wooden sandals to create an intense and energetic performance.
7. Danza De Los Quetzales
La danza de los quetzales is believed to have come from Toltec culture. But nowadays it’s performed by many indigenous and folk dance groups.
It has become the most representative dance of the Northern Sierra in the state of Puebla and, more specifically, the city of Cuetzalan, which owes its name to the quetzal bird, represented in the dancers’ costumes.
The dance is made up of 52 sones, and its dancers perform it by forming two rows, with a captain leading them at the midpoint.
They take simple and short steps twisting their legs, making the sign of the cross with their feet and moving from north to south and from west to east, marking the four cardinal points and forming a new sign of the cross together.
If all this sounds simple to you, imagine trying to do it while wearing a huge headdress, which forms a multicoloured semicircle that resembles the beautiful feathers of the quetzal.
Types Of Mexican Dances From The South
8. Parachicos
Parachichos refers both to the dance and its dancers in the city of Chiapa de Corzo (in the state of Chiapas), who make their moves during the Fiesta Grande.
This event takes place every January, honouring the Catholic saints Saint Anthony Abbot, Our Lord of Esquipulas, and Saint Sebastian.
The Parachicos themselves were included in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in 2010, highlighting that their dance “embraces all spheres of local life, promoting mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals.”
The parade itself doesn’t involve complex moves. Instead, it's a massive procession of dancers through the city, visiting places of worship, carrying statues and following the saints, all while wearing a carved wooden mask and shaking chichines.
More intricate Mexican dance styles can be found around the celebration.
9. Jarana
From the Yucatán Peninsula, this Mexican dance has a name which literally means “loud and chaotic fun” in Spanish. But the boisterous sound of its conjuntos and the energetic moves of its dancers involve a lot of discipline.
The musicians have to stick to rhythms of three-quarters or six-eighths of a compass.
Meanwhile, the dancers have to keep their upper bodies straight while jumping and stomping in different directions, all with the purpose of holding a tray with bottles and glasses over their heads and not letting any water fall.
If there are similarities in sound and dance style between the Spanish jota aragonesa and the jarana (especially with its three-quarters structure), it’s the natural outcome of the Spanish influence on Mexican culture, and how their elements intertwined over time.
10. Danza De Los Voladores
If you thought quebradita was way too dangerous, danza de los voladores just takes things higher.
This ceremonial dance involves five participants, four “flyers” and a caporal (leader), who climb an 18 to 43-metre high pole, with the caporal remaining on top, playing a flute and drum.
Meanwhile the four flyers, secured by ropes, launch themselves off the platform, spinning in the air for 13 times to symbolise the 52 weeks of the year.
The practice is mostly associated with the Totonac people in Veracruz, as their way to pay respect and express their harmony with the natural and spiritual worlds.
But it's currently performed by other groups in Mexico and Central America. This dance has been on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists since 2009.
FAQs About Mexican Dance Styles
What type of dance is popular in Mexico?
As the national dance of Mexico, jarabe tapatío (or Mexican Hat Dance) is the most popular of the Mexican dance styles. As the Mexican folk dance that has had the most attention from international pop culture, jarabe tapatío has consolidated its popularity and its power to attract new generations into its culture, with the steps, sounds, and costumes that have expressed Mexican culture since colonial times.
What is the traditional Mexican dance called?
The most well-known traditional Mexican dance is the El Jarabe Tapatio otherwise known as the Mexican Hat Dance. Another similar dance and melody is La Raspa.
What are the Mexican club dance styles?
During the 90s, the Quebradita became a very popular club dance style in northern Mexico, as well as the Southwestern U.S. Nowadays, club dance styles in Mexico could include Latin dance styles that are widely popular throughout Latin America, like Reggaeton, Salsa, and Bachata.
Connect To Culture Thanks To Traditional Mexican Dances
So there you have it – everything you need to know about Mexican dance styles to connect better with the culture.
Now you can impress your Mexican friends with your knowledge of Mexican folk dances. And maybe even try out some of the moves yourself.
If you'd like to immerse yourself in Mexican culture while also improving your Mexican Spanish, why not check out this list of the 8 best Mexican movies to master Mexican Spanish from your couch.
Olly Richards
Creator of the StoryLearning® Method
Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.
Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.
When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.
