UC San Diego

Nestled deep in the heart of the western highlands, Momostenango, Guatemala, is home to a variety of customary, ritual dance-dramas. These include the Baile de la conquista, the Dance of the Conquest or the Baile de los Mexicanos, the Dance of the Mexicans that are performed during the féria, the public festival dedicated to Santiago Apóstol, the patron saint of the community. Recently, however, new dances have gained considerably in popularity. Locals refer to these dances as convites, "invitation" dances or disfraces, "disguises." Unlike the traditional dances that emphasize continuity and tradition, these new dances highlight change and innovation. Rather than relying on a script or practiced institution to guide them, the disfraces derive their inspiration from ever changing North American mass media and popular culture. They feature costumes that draw from film and television, including such characters as Batman, Freddie Kruger, and even Barack Obama. This work explores how the contemporary events in Guatemala, such as the recently ended armed conflict, the consolidation and spread of globalized mass culture, and the rise of transnational migration to the United States have contributed to the development of the disfraces dances. It also questions how foreign images produce local meanings during the féria and which meanings are shared within society. The disfraces articulate a range of perspectives regarding current society. In addition to functioning as comic, festive events that feature foreign elements, these dances also operate as a site for the production of identity by signifying gender, class and ethnic affiliation. The organizational structure of the dance societies, the days on which the dances appear, and the types of costumes the dancers wear symbolize their place within society and how they connect to the outside world. Whether one is Ladino, the dominant class, K'iche' Maya, or female, the dances will have different costumes and meanings. The dances reflect tensions that exist in society and function as a means of articulating difference