Danse mexicaine

Plot

This brief documentary captures a traditional Mexican couple performing the jarabe tapatío, a popular folk dance from Jalisco, Mexico. The male dancer, dressed in charro attire including a wide-brimmed sombrero, executes intricate footwork and movements while his female partner, wearing a colorful traditional dress with flowing skirts, responds with graceful steps. A small group of onlookers watches from the background, providing context for the cultural performance. The entire sequence was filmed in a single continuous shot, documenting not just the dance itself but also the authentic costumes and setting of late 19th-century Mexican culture. The film preserves a moment of traditional performance art that might otherwise have been lost to history.

Historical Background

1896 was a pivotal year in cinema history, occurring just months after the Lumière brothers' first public film screening in Paris on December 28, 1895. The medium of motion pictures was so new that most people had never seen moving images before. This period marked the beginning of cinema's global expansion, with the Lumière Company sending operators like Veyre to various countries to document local life and culture. The film was created during the Porfiriato era of Mexico (1876-1911), a period of relative stability and modernization under President Porfirio Díaz, which likely facilitated Veyre's ability to film freely in the country. This was also the height of European colonial expansion and ethnographic interest, with Western audiences eager to see images of exotic cultures and distant lands.

Making Of

Gabriel Veyre arrived in Mexico in 1896 as part of the Lumière brothers' global initiative to demonstrate their revolutionary cinematograph invention. The filming of 'Danse mexicaine' took place outdoors, likely in a public square or courtyard, as artificial lighting was not yet available for film production. Veyre had to hand-crank the camera throughout the entire shot, maintaining a steady speed to ensure proper exposure. The dancers were probably local performers recruited for the occasion, as the Lumière operators typically sought authentic local subjects that would appeal to both domestic and international audiences. The entire filming process would have been a public spectacle itself, with curious onlookers gathering to witness this new technology that could capture and reproduce movement.

Visual Style

The cinematography in 'Danse mexicaine' represents the state of the art in 1896, utilizing the Lumière cinematograph with a fixed wide-angle lens. The composition is static, as camera movement was not yet possible, requiring careful placement to capture the entire dance performance. The single continuous shot demonstrates the technical constraints of early filmmaking, where each film reel could only hold about 50 seconds of footage. The lighting is entirely natural, requiring outdoor filming during daylight hours. Despite these limitations, Veyre managed to frame the dancers effectively, positioning them centrally while including the onlookers to provide context and scale. The black and white imagery, while unable to capture the vibrant colors of the traditional costumes, still conveys the movement and energy of the performance through careful attention to the dancers' positions and gestures.

Innovations

The film represents several important technical achievements for its era. It was shot using the Lumière cinematograph, a revolutionary device that combined camera, projector, and developer in one portable unit. The use of 35mm film with perforations (invented by the Lumières) established a standard that would dominate cinema for decades. The film demonstrates early mastery of exposure and focus, challenging technical feats in outdoor shooting conditions. The ability to capture rapid dance movements without blur was particularly impressive for 1896 technology. The film also showcases the international portability of early cinema equipment, proving that movies could be made anywhere in the world, not just in studio settings.

Music

The film was originally presented as a silent work, as synchronized sound technology would not be invented for another three decades. During early cinema exhibitions, live musical accompaniment was typically provided, often featuring local musicians who would play appropriate music to match the on-screen action. For 'Danse mexicaine,' it's likely that traditional Mexican music was performed live during screenings, possibly including actual jarabe tapatío music on guitar, violin, and harp. Some exhibitors might have used phonograph recordings if available, though live music was more common. The absence of recorded sound means that modern viewers must imagine the music that would have accompanied the dance, though contemporary presentations often add authentic Mexican folk music to enhance the viewing experience.

Memorable Scenes

• The entire film consists of one memorable scene: the authentic performance of the jarabe tapatío dance, with the male dancer's dramatic footwork and the female dancer's flowing skirt movements creating a captivating visual display of traditional Mexican culture

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception is difficult to determine as film criticism was not yet established as a profession in 1896. However, the film and others like it were enthusiastically received by audiences who were amazed by the technology itself rather than analyzing artistic merit. Modern film historians and archivists recognize 'Danse mexicaine' as a historically significant document of early cinema and Mexican cultural history. It is frequently cited in academic works about early ethnographic film and the global expansion of cinema. The film is valued today more for its documentary importance than any aesthetic qualities, though it does demonstrate the compositional instincts of early filmmakers who had to frame shots carefully without the benefit of zoom lenses or multiple takes.

What Audiences Thought

The film was likely received with wonder and amazement by 1896 audiences, who were still adjusting to the revolutionary concept of moving images. For Mexican audiences, seeing their own culture and people represented on screen would have been a novel and exciting experience. International audiences would have been fascinated by the exotic costumes and unfamiliar dance, contributing to their understanding of distant cultures. The brief runtime and simple, direct presentation made it accessible to viewers of all backgrounds, and the authentic Mexican content would have been particularly appealing in an era when most films depicted European scenes. The film's success as part of Lumière programs is evidenced by the company's continued investment in international content production.

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