The Tigrillo shows his
claws .
The Jaguar is one of the oldest divinities in Mesoamerica, dating back thousands of years to the Olmecs. Today, the "Danza del Tigre" is still one of the most widespread of ritual dramas, especially among indigenous groups in Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, and Morelos states.
The version presented in this film comes from Tlacuachistlahuaca, an Amusgo Indian town in southern Guerrero. Like most jaguar dances, it has been adapted over time to deal with new problems, while retaining the mystery and power of its origin.
The dance starts and ends in the churchyard. A mestizo ("white") rancher, Jose Viejon, is troubled by a jaguar killing his animals. There is an introductory dance to present his "crew", who include two parrots and two iguanas in addition to a foreman and four human ranchhands. Jose Viejon sends his foreman to contract a deaf and blind Indian hunter, his wife, and his dog, to hunt the tigre. Each of these three dances in turn, with much scatological humor (for example, the dog lifts his leg and "pees" on everyone). Then the Tigre and his Tigrillo sidekick appear, and terrorize everyone except the dog, who fights back fiercely but unsuccessfully.
After the stage is set, the two Tigres leave the churchyard to rampage through town, turning cartwheels down the streets, climbing palm trees, light poles, and biting unsuspecting (male) viewers in the crotch. The hunter, his wife, and the dog trail behind, accompanied by the ranchowner and his crew. When they reach the creek, a battle royal ensures between the two tigres, the hunters, and anyone else unwary enough to be pulled in. The Tigre climbs a final tree, where the hunter at last manages to shoot him and the Tigrillo.
The two "dead" Tigres are then carried back to the churchyard, skinned, and the meat divided among the participants. The choicest pieces, the genitals, are given to the hunter and his wife, and the dance ends.
The dance is, of course, a commentary on mestizo and Indian relations. But the Tigre and Tigrillo are the real stars of the drama: mysterious, powerful, sexually charged, natural forces which both threaten and attract us, Most of all, the dance is a charming mixture of humor and mystery. We feel we are watching the very beginnings of theater, played out with zest in the streets of a traditional indigenous community by actors who are clearly enjoying themselves very much.
