Lakeside Dancers (writing & photography by Janice Kimball)

It was the right day on the Malecon to pay tribute to Lake Chapala, as it was displayin for us all of her power. When night came, the Scorpion Island ferry boats bobbed in and out of sight riding the waves, the sea like tide frothing, as the wind whistled past, and this following a soft silken day. I happened upon it quite unknowing, along with "mi hijo", Francisco, and two close friends, Franco and Suzanna. It was one of those surprises that were meant to be.

It was still daylight as we saw in anticipation the beginning of what was to become a ceremony in ritual, paid in homage to the lake. We came upon the lakeshore from under the soaring eagle-like sail where the post office used to be. We could hear the bantering of the drums in the distance, and the haunting blows from shell horns whose primitive, instinctive sounds drew you to it, mesmerized. Later, swarms of adolescents could be seen, flitting about, around the fountain, and through the paths in the park, with huge handmade stars and moons held over their heads made of white tissue paper. They looked not unlike gigantic fireflies, as the late sun filtered through the tress igniting parts of them.

On the pier leading to the lighthouse the ritual began. It included all the pomp and structure a ceremony requres, all delivered to us watching from the lakeshore malecon in English and Spanish. Then, the dancers arrived. The drums and wailings from exotic instruments took on added fervor amplified from the boom boxes towering above us.

The very sight of the dancers was awesome, all painted and leggy, featherd plumes whipped by the wind, marching in with purpose, young and old, each wrapped in their own identity. They threw passion into their dance, matching that of their ancestors, perhaps the Aztecs, or from other Pre Hispanic cultures preceding it. It was apparent that their dance was more than a performance. It was the gods they were dancing for, in an appeal to keep the lake alive.

I marvel at the layering of cultures here, and the inclusion of us in this ritual, with its many gringo participants. We are welcomed here in Mexico, if we choose to have adopted it. How I love the multi-layered experiences that I encounter in Mexico, my beloved home. Thank you all for giving the lake and us this ritual. Thank you, Lake Chapala, for being there for us, and for making this magic possible. For complete text on the dancers see the centerfold of the Lake Chapala Review, April issue.


This is the weaving maestro, Francisco Urzua, getting carried away with the Lake Chapala offerings. You can see him at Aztec Studios and the Janice Kimball Gallery in Rancho del Oro, weekdays, where he would be happy to show you our tapestries and to tell you all about that wonderful evening he spent on the lake in Chapala.