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Carolyn's Journal Traditional Dance in Santa Ana La Fiesta de El Señor de Escipulas January 2006 This year Primo's mother Carmen talked me into joining the local dancers for the festival of Señor de Esquipulas (the Black Christ), which is held every January. On the first night of festivities they have a long procession through town, that stops in front of any house that pays to have a dance performed, with the money going back to the municipality. The women dance with baskets of flowers on their heads, some of the men play in the band, and others take turns balancing a large balloon-like structure made of bamboo and fabric, which was especially difficult this year because it was very windy and dusty. The procession finally reaches the town square, where the dancing goes on for another hour or two.
 So in preparation for my participation, three days before the dance I had to go pick out my basket, and a local woman filled it with flowers for me. I borrowed clothes from several different people so that I could wear the proper garb. It took three women about half an hour to dress me, folding the skirt just so and tying the waist band very very tightly to keep it all in place. We had a great time laughing through the whole thing. I thought the clothes made me look huge -many layers of thick wool for the skirt and layers of loose fabric for the top, but Carmen told me that it made my rear end look very nice!
 This is my dance teacher, who also was my helper through the evening. Inez is 15 years old, and she very patiently taught me all the steps, although I think I missed a few of them. She also very graciously agreed to go with me when I was invited to the mayor's house for dinner after more than three hours of dancing. It was a good thing she came along, because I didn't know anyone else, and there were a few things on my plate that I didn’t recognize. I had to see what she did with them first before I ate them.
 After the dance, the baskets were left in the town church where they stayed as decorations. For the morning mass, all churchgoers were given a handful fresh flowers from the baskets to hold during the service and to take home with them. It was beautiful!
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