Jarabe Tapatío
A Traditional Spanish Dance
¡Baila el Jarabe Tapatío!
What is the Jarabe Tapatío?
Better known internationally as the “the mexican hat dance”, the Jarabe Tapatío is the best known of a variety of the Mexican folk dance called the "jarabe". The song's popularity has led it to be used in many forms of media and is danced all over Mexico and Latin America, and has come to symbolize their cultures.
Music associated with the Jarabe Tapatío
The music played to accompany the dance was written to be danced to and its played either by mariachi bands or by bands playing only string instruments such as guitars, harps and violin.
People/Groups that dance the Jarabe Tapatío
Anna Pavlova, a Russian dancer, shared this dance after visiting Mexico in 1919.
Characteristics of the Jarabe Tapatío
It is mostly danced in Mexico. For women, the most traditional outfit is called the “China Poblana”, while the traditional outfit for men is that of the "Charro", generally heavily decorated in silver trim.