This past Sunday I attended the first of three different performances of the ballet, which combined the performances of horses and human dancers. This first performance was entitled “MÉXICO LINDO” – Beautiful Mexico. The next performance will be “Dos Culturas” – two cultures, and the final one will be Fantasía – fantasy.
So all the advertisements said the show would start at 8pm. We arrived a little early so we could walk around a bit. There was a hot air balloon that stayed tethered to the ground even after it was inflated. There were numerous tents for selling food as well as equipment for horses such as saddles, etc., as well as clothing for the riders.
As we took our places on the metal bleachers, we expected the ballet to start on time, either Mexican or hopefully Gringo Time. To our surprise, they first had an exhibition of the horses and 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize ribbons being awarded.
This horse had the longest mane and tail I had ever seen.
It was about 9pm when the ballet actually started. It had been advertised as free, but only the judging part was free. A woman and a girl came around to all of us in the bleachers selling tickets at 50 pesos apiece. It was a cheap price (about $2.50 USD) but it would have been nice if we had known ahead of time.
In the meantime, I guess some of the younger attendees were getting a bit restless…
After we all paid for our tickets, it was time to start the show. First, the ladies and gentlemen paraded in on their horses.
And then there was the ballet, with the dancers and horses performing to one of my favorite songs Camino Real Colima
There were more performances to come, but by this time it was 10pm and we were tired, so we headed home. My plans are to attend the Fantasía performance on Sunday, February 4th, and we will know to dress warmly and bring pillows to sit on, as the metal bleachers were pretty hard on our butts.
We’ll also be more aware of the time frame, so hopefully we will stay longer. I hear the Fantasía reminds people who have seen it of Cirque de Soleil. We’ll just have to wait and see.
mex-pat.org 