Ballet cures Mexico traffic blues:
A ballerina dances at a traffic light stop, in Mexico City, on July 28. In this sprawling megalopolis notorious for its clogged streets, a theater company sent out tutu-clad dancers out to delight motorists at snarled intersections with snippets from ballet classics like The
Nutcracker and Swan Lake all in the 58 seconds it takes for the light to go from red to green. (AP)
poor residents, but said the economic benefits have been tremendous. The Casco is now the country’s No. 2 tourism draw after the nearby Panama Canal.
“You have to find a solution for them because they are people who have lived here 20, 30 years,” Lyma said. “But on the other hand, you have to think about the economy of the country. These investments contribute and create work.”
Rene Quiros, a Bolivian who moved to Panama 35 years ago, said that when he arrived, the Casco was “very dangerous, very uncomfortable.” He has had a front-row seat for the transformation, and has also reaped the rewards through the tapas restaurant he runs in a restored building off the main square.
“I have seen many changes. Everything is positive as far as what’s beautiful and showy, but there is a very negative aspect to this with the displaced people,” Quiros said. “There were people who should have stayed because they have a long history, an encyclopedia of what the Casco Antiguo is.” (AP)
Remedios Rosas was walking down a Mexico City street Saturday when she saw seven tutu-clad dancers tiptoe to the sidewalk, their chins held high, and join pedestrians waiting to cross the
Young
Sanchez
road. When the light changed, music started and the dancers leaped into the street, twirling and twisting in front of surprised drivers.
The 58-second show — the duration of a Mexico City traffic light — is part of a theater company’s attempt to brighten the days of motorists at snarled intersections in this sprawling megalopolis notorious for its clogged roadways.
Rosas ran home and brought back her two grandchildren to enjoy the street performances, which featured music ranging from ballet classics like Swan Lake and the Nutcracker to Michael Jackson’s Rock With Me. The sound system was a boombox plugged into an iPod.
“It’s great for families that we have the opportunity to see them here on the street,” the grandmother said.
Fighting the noise of car horns and rattling engines in the northwest Mexico City neighborhood, the group danced to the tune of seven different songs, each complemented with its own routine and bright costume.
The idea of the performances was inspired by photographer Oscar Rodriguez, who captured portraits of the dancers in the streets. Now, the performances are part of an initiative called “the theatricality of public space.” The theater company is called Ardentia. (AP)