The footsteps of my foremothers. Feminist notes on the study and writingof the history of Mexican modern dance

Abstract

This article discusses the history of modern dance in Mexico by questioning the ways in which it has been written and understood based on patriarchal and colonial parameters. Despite the efforts to recover it from academic research, Mexican dance has been a neglected expression in the history of art in the country. The text focuses on a specific period known as "the golden age of Mexican modern dance", which spans from 1939 to the late 1950s, and has been thought of as an extension of artistic nationalism.

The text raises the importance of analyzing the history of Mexican modern dance from a feminist perspective and within the context of art history. Although women were, for the most part, the creators of the great symbols of national unity in terms of dance, they have rarely been recognized as creators, although dance has been mostly conceived and executed from female bodies, which has led it to be considered as a "feminine art", limiting its study from the predominantly male academies of art history.

A methodological proposal is proposed to study the history of modern Mexican dance from the perspective of Latin American feminisms. Urging to recognize the work of women creators and to analyze their creations in their historical and cultural contexts. This article proposes to reevaluate the work of women in Mexican modern dance, overcoming the patriarchal canons that have limited their visibility in academia and society. Through a feminist approach and an intersection of knowledge, it seeks to broaden the study of dance as an artistic expression in Mexico, recognizing and rewriting its history from a more inclusive and enriching perspective.