Private Project

Los Mejicas at UCSC. A Dance Island of Belonging and Encounter.

Los Mejicas at UCSC. A Dance Island of Belonging and Encounter*

This documentary attempts to provide a different perspective to understand Mexican folkloric dance in the United States, not only as an expressive way to promote cultural identity or mexicanidad, but also as a human island (using Peter Sloterdijk philosophy) that facilitates –beyond a romantic sense of nationalism– a deep sense of social belonging and human encounter. So dancing serves as a tool of positive social and individual transformation and resilience. Then, one should characterize dance not only as an artistic and aesthetic practice, but also as a social practice in a human island that has the power to mobilize the entire existence of a community, as has happened with Los Mejicas at UCSC.

*This video is not available online.

  • Sarahí Lay Trigo
    Director
  • Sarahí Lay Trigo
    Writer
  • Sarahí Lay Trigo
    Producer
  • Sarahí Lay Trigo
    Camera
  • Sarahí Lay Trigo
    Editing
  • Carlos Adrián Lay Trigo C Lay
    Original Music and Composer
  • Adrian Lay Ruiz
    Illustrations
  • Olga Nájera-Ramírez
    UCSC Advisor
  • Mario Vasquez
    Camera assitant at Mejicas Spring Show
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    35 minutes 28 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 8, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    440 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Mexico
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • LA Shorts Awards
    Los Ángeles
    United States
    September 19, 2020
    Winner Best Foreign Documentary
Director Biography - Sarahí Lay Trigo

Sarahí Lay holds a PhD in Education. Her doctoral dissertation focused on educational trajectories of professional dancers, primary in the soloist and principal dancers at International Ballet Companies. She holds a Master Degree in Management and Policies of Higher Education and a Degree in Communication Sciences. She will received her Degree in Dance in 2021 at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico.

She is also a Dance Teacher and Choreographer. Devote dancer of Flamenco, Ballet, Mexican folkloric and Modern Dance. Since 2018 she is an active member of the International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO).

She has taught different courses, workshops, lectures and educational didactic concerts in Mexico, Argentina, Canada, United States, Costa Rica, and Spain.

During her postdoctoral research project at the University of California Santa Cruz, she ventured into the creation of documentary video; her first work as filmmaker addresses the dance reality of Mexican folk dancers in the United States.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In this documentary I explored a different perspective to understand Mexican folkloric dance in the United States, not only as an expressive way to promote cultural identity or mexicanidad –which has been confirmed in other academic studies (see for instance Sound of Crossing by Alex Chávez 2013; Engendering nationalism: identity, discourse and the Mexican Charro by Olga Nájera-Ramírez 1993, 2012; or Dancing across borders: danzas y bailes Mexicanos by Olga Nájera-Ramírez, Norma E. Cantú and Brenda M. Romero 2009)– but also as a human island (using Peter Sloterdijk philosophy) that facilitates –beyond a romantic sense of nationalism– a deep sense of social belonging and human encounter. Encounter in different levels: historic, social, cultural, and individual, giving to this practice a special meanings: a way to express national identity (something that does itself by being an intrinsically practice linked to a cultural identity, in this case the Mexican), and as an expressive form of human encounter and resilience. So dancing serves as a tool of positive social and individual transformation. Then, one should characterize dance not only as an artistic and aesthetic practice, but also as a social practice, a human island that has the power to mobilize the entire existence of a community, as has happened with Los Mejicas at UCSC.
This film focuses on Grupo Folklórico Los Mejicas at University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC).