The Chinas Oaxaqueñas are also known for their jewelry and, famously, for their long braids which must be a uniform length for all the dancers who perform the Jarabe del Valle. Among the accessories worn with the outfits are symbols of the deep religious faith that characterizes these women of Oaxaca de Juárez. “We carry a cross that represents our religion and the love we have for God and Jesus. It is always with us,” Sumano says. What separates the formal version of the outfit from the everyday one is the bejuco, a long necklace that can be fastened to the right side of the outfit (to indicate its wearer is married) and to the left (if they are not). Closer to the neck, an ahogador, or choker, is paired with earrings. The jewelry is all made in gold filigree.
A final detail related to the faith of the Chinas Oaxaqueñas is a small charm holding a portrait. “We place it close to the heart and it may have the photo of a loved one or the image of a saint or the Virgin,” Sumano explains. She wears one with the Virgen de la Soledad, a patron of Oaxaca.
Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, La Costa
“When I put on my outfit, I feel beautiful. The braids even change how your face appears,” Simoni Baños Acevedo, 21, says as she recalls her feeling when she was practicing to perform the traditional Chilena de Pinotepa Nacional dance, which portrays the courtship between a rooster (representing a man) and a hen (the woman he is pursuing).
Originally from the Oaxacan coast, the chilena is a dance with multicultural roots. The chilena is a seductive and playful dance, and the women who perform it at the Guelaguetza play the part too, dressed in colorful blouses and skirts. Baños wears a poplin blouse that her grandmother also wore when she performed the same dance in 1978. It is embroidered with chaquira beads in the shapes of roses and peacocks that symbolize the elegance of women.
The skirt is made of bridal satin, a fabric with a brilliant appearance and a thickness that provides volume. It is typically decorated with ribbons, organza, and pleated lace details. The three-inch heels that the women wear when performing the dance are visible at the bottom of the skirt—a demure bit of coquetry. A game of attraction is central to this dance, which is also reflected in the accessories that Baños wears. With the skirt she can imitate the wings of a hen, while the scarf, worn on her right side, represents the crest of a bird. “It is a symbol of happiness. It says, ‘I greet you, notice me,’” she explains.
