Viva La Vida

GE July 13, 2016

Today is the death anniversary of one of the most influential women in Mexican history. Feminist, artist and ambassadress of culture in México and the world. The painter Frida Kahlo.

Frida´s works are one of a kind. According to different critics, her style goes back and forth between surrealism and realism. Frida considered that she was more inclined to realism because she portrayed real life events in her paintings. Frida was able to make the public empathize with her suffering throughout her works. During her teenage years, she suffered from an accident that changed her life. The bus she was traveling in crashed with a trolley leaving her with a very damaged body. She never fully recovered from the accident which led to many health problems in the future. This experience pushed her to let out her feelings through art. At La Casa Azul ( museum of Frida Kahlo) we can clearly see how her paintings evolved through the years. They all have a similar style but each one owns a different motive. She created an open book of the concerns, agony, love and happiness she experienced through in her life.

Frida was constantly getting surgeries because of her deteriorating health. She even got one leg amputated. The struggle for keeping a healthy body defined a lot of her fashion style. She wore painted corsets and long skirts with vibrant colors in order to hide her injuries. She started to incorporate a lot of regional Mexican dresses into her wardrobe, especially the Tehuana style. She would wear this typical garments from our country with an inimitable style. A very important element in Frida´s life was her marriage to the muralist Diego Rivera. They both greatly admired each other. They were an unconventional couple, they loved each other but they also tormented each other.

" And even if its not true, tell me that you love me and can´t live without me." -Frida Kahlo

I am wearing a dress I recently bought in Oaxaca. The Frida Kahlo portrait was painted by my grandfather.

Even in her time Frida was known and praised by the artistic and cultural society of México and abroad. She held exhibitions in New York, Paris and México. It is amazing how she has become an icon that represents a new type of woman and the flourishing of a modern México. Kahlo has inspired fashion, literature and even ballet. She was a woman politically active and interested in the fate of humanity. She was a woman who never lived behind the shadow of Diego Rivera and who opened her heart to everyone who appreciated her art. She was a woman who excelled for her singularity and peculiar outlook on life.

Thanks to her art we now have the opportunity to take a peek into her soul and appreciate the world exactly how she lived it.

-Greta

Chapultepec Castle

GE July 6, 2016

Sometimes, fitting museums visits or exhibits into my schedule can get a little complicated. Either I am too tired from rehearsals or I have to be at the theatre all day, hence giving me no chance for recreational activities.

A couple of weeks ago, I realized I had not done a cultural visit in a very long time. Despite having a performance at Palacio de Bellas Artes later that night, I decided to visit the Chapultepec Castle.

The castle can be found at the Chapultepec forest. The word Chapultepec comes from the nahuatl meaning "grasshopper´s hill". There has been human presence in this area since at least 3,000 years ago. The Aztecs where the last civilization to ocuppy the area before the conquest. Luckily we can still appreciate the "Baths of Moctezuma", which can give us an idea of the aqueduct system used to bring water to the city in the Pre- Columbian era.

It was during the viceroyalty period that the decision of building a palace on top of the Chapultepec hill was made. The now called Castillo de Chapultepec has had different purposes throughout history. In 1801 it was a Military Academy, later on the residence of Emperor Maximilan I of Mexico and his wife, and in the future as presidential home. Currently, it is home to the National Museum of History.

When I first moved to Mexico City, I visited the National Museum of History. A few months later, I danced The Sleeping Beauty with the Compañia Nacional de Danza at the forecourt of the Alcazar.

I had not been to the castle since the last Sleeping Beauty season in 2013. Being back there felt very strange at first. I did not remember what the museum looked like without it being adapted for our performances. While walking through the hallways, I could only think of those long weeks of rehearsals. During this time I was an apprentice and this shows helped me a lot to get noticed by the artistic staff. Within the murals of Siqueiros and Clemente Orozco I could see myself practicing over and over the role of Little Red Riding Hood before going on stage. This was the first time I danced outside the core of ballet... such an easy role would make me feel so nervous! I only got to do two seasons of The Sleeping Beauty, but many where the memories revived that day within the castle´s walls.

The architecture of the castle is quite marvelous but what I like the best are the majestic gardens and terraces. The Chapultepec Castle is quite a unique place. From the panoramic views of the castle you can feel the mysticism of a city that was once the great Tenochtitlan.

If you happen to visit the Chapultepec Castle, please tell me all about it.

-Greta

Lugano

GE February 19, 2016

Sorry for the wait, but I am back to telling you about my summer in Europe. I was in Milan for the most part of my trip. The nice thing about being in Milan is that there are many interesting cities nearby. Just take a train and in a few hours you can get to Rome, Florence or Venice! This one weekend I was quite exhausted from walking and traveling, but of course I could not let myself stay in doing nothing. That got me thinking, where should I go? A close city, different country, a relaxing day... Lugano was the answer!

Lugano is a city in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. There are no major attractions but sitting by the Lake Lugano and letting your mind wander is something you do not get to do often.

The city is very pretty with many small and unique shops. The best way to get to know Lugano is by walking, you don´t even need a destination. Explore every street and alley. Once you are tired, find yourself a cute restaurant by the lake, order a pizza and relax.

-Greta.

More about Oaxaca

GE August 16, 2015

As I told you in my last post, Oaxaca is a true dreamland. I would love to visit during the Guelaguetza celebration in order to enjoy the folk dances and analyze the traditional dresses (like the Tehuana dress, remember?).

It is impossible to write about all the places and wonders that can be found in Oaxaca but I do have some more recommendations, I assure you they are worth it.

Monte Albán is one of the most beautiful archaeological sites I have ever been to. It is not known with certainty who founded it, but at some point it was inhabited by the Zapotecs and later on by the Mixtecs. It was considered the center of political and economic power of the central valleys of Oaxaca.

The architecture of the site exerts such a power and respect that it rendered us speechless. The air is pure, the view is exquisite from the top of the south platform, and the nature surrounding the pre-hispanic ruins is the final touch for this work of art that history has given us.

To get a broader idea of Monte albán you should visit the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, there you will find the treasures of tomb 7 that were discovered by Alfonso Caso in 1932. This type of wonders are the things that make learning while traveling way better than learning in any other way.

I do not know what's your point of view on shopping, but I have found that I can be a shopaholic. The good thing is that in Oaxaca there is a way to go shopping and at the same time getting to know the place and its artisans a little better. For example there is the town of Alebrijes, which are carved wood figures hand painted with very intriguing designs. The Alebrijes from Oaxaca are an adaptation from the ones invented and made by modeling newspaper by Pedro Linares Lopez.

There is also the Black Pottery (Barro Negro) town, this type of pottery is typical from this state because of its origins that go back to the Zapotecs and Mixtecs. What gives the pottery its distinctive color is the type of earth used and the way it is worked.

One of the artisans told me about how the government has lands where all the town craftsmen can go and get the necessary earth to produce their crafts without any cost. This is a great idea since there should not be a cost on using earth to produce art. Saying this I bought a few pieces from the shop, we have to support the traditions or else they will die with us.

And finally on the shopping list we find the textiles. These rugs and embroidery also come from a long line of tradition. They are handmade with wool and every color comes from a natural source. Vibrant colors and different designs, they are just lovely, especially if you have a living room in need of decoration.