A week in the life of a 17-year-old folklórico dancer in Mexico — Assembly

Claudia Abigail Hernández writes about programming, lifting weights and learning a local wedding dance.

Monday

Today was a good day because I kept myself busy. In the morning I woke up to take my online high school classes. I am in my sixth semester of classes at the Baccalaureate Center for Industrial Technology and Services studying programming, and during the pandemic we have online classes. Even though I don’t like that they’re online because I miss my friends, I have to take them. Then I got up and made myself a smoothie. Afterward, I did a few pending assignments for school and those took me all morning. Today I ate golden chicken for lunch — which is similar to breaded chicken — that they sell near my house, which my dad bought because my mom was craving it. My classes finished by 3 p.m. I took a 20-minute nap because I was really stressed about my schoolwork. Then I took a bath, and when I was changing I fell. It was so funny! I slipped on water that I had spilled before and my mom and I couldn’t stop laughing.

Then at 5 p.m. I prepared to go to my other school where I study English. I decided to enroll in an English school so that I could be better prepared for my future and partly because I am about to enter a university where most of my classes will be in English. Today was one of those days that stressed me a lot because I learned something at school that was difficult for me to understand. But in the end I did understand, though my head hurts even just thinking about it. I left school at 7 p.m. and went to the gym. Today I had to do legs (quadriceps). I used to not like going to the gym, but my body has gotten used to it over time. I don't exercise for my physique as much as for my health. And as a folklórico dancer it never hurts to get exercise and build fitness. Then I came home hungry and ate carrots and cucumbers and also mangoes. And it's already 10 p.m. and I'm in bed.

Tuesday

Although today it dawned raining and the whole day was cloudy and a bit cool, my day, like every day, was busy. In the morning I woke up to my online classes and made breakfast. Today I was doing some statistics and probability problems. It took me a long time to finish them, but my to-do list is already getting smaller. Everything was going fine until my internet cut out and I was left without signal. Since I couldn't study anymore, I slept for an hour.

Then I got myself ready to go to my English school which I do attend in-person respecting all pandemic protocols. There are only six of us in my class. School was good today; they had us all participate in a competition with one another which I love doing. After school I went to the gym and exercised my back and shoulders, although those are not my favorite exercises and I never finish them. But today I did finish them, and I was so sore after. When I got to my house I ate cornflakes. Then I started to study a little English because after not practicing over all of Easter break, I forgot some things. But I’ve already recalled them. Now I am in my bed ready to sleep and hoping that tomorrow will not be as stressful a day as today.

Wednesday

Today I went to the gym early at 7 a.m. so that I could go to my dad's softball game in the afternoon. My dad plays softball with his work team. Leaving the gym my dad bought gorditas to snack on. Although I go to the gym, I don’t always look after my diet; sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. After my classes finished I watched a series on Netflix and a line stuck with me: "Time is money and gold is money." I was interested in this phrase because it is true; if I did not wake up for work one day, I would have already lost that day's salary.

Today my dad lent me his truck to drive to English school in. It's weird that my dad lets me drive because I've crashed outside my house several times. After school I went to the softball game with my dad. It was a good game! Although his team lost, there was plenty of laughter to go around. Then I got home and fell asleep because I was so tired.

Thursday

Although today was cloudy and there was a bit of rain, it was a very active day. I woke up to my classes in the morning. Today they started later — around 10 a.m. Then I ran some programs in SolidWorks which took me so long to finish. SolidWorks is a program for designing parts and structures in 3D or 2D. Afterwards I bathed and went to English school. At school they gave me a pop quiz and, to be honest, I was not prepared at all. I don't know how it went, I was very nervous. After leaving school I went to the gym. That's really where I get my stress out. Then I got home so hungry and made myself dinner.

I just had a meeting with my folklórico teacher to see what we are going to do tomorrow and over the weekend. Dancing folklórico is a happiness of mine that I can’t even explain, especially when I get to perform in front of so many people. This week we are going to have a special class taught by a teacher from Michoacán who is coming to teach us a local wedding dance. I am so happy about that because I love learning new pieces (or "dances").

Friday

Today is a day of joy. Following my routine all week in the morning I went to the gym. Today I did not have online high school classes, and my English school is only from Mondays to Thursdays. So in the evening I went to folklórico class where we learned the wedding dance. The rehearsal began at 7 p.m. and ended at 11 p.m. I feel so happy because the professor from Michoacán selected me and another girl in my class as nominees to be the bride in the dance, and in the end he chose me to be the bride. What happiness! It is a super beautiful piece and very tiring for the men. There are an equal number of men and women in my folklórico group, and sometimes there are more men than women. Now I am at home writing this while I eat cereal. It's time to sleep because I came home super tired from rehearsal.

Saturday

Today was very interesting. I woke up in the morning to go to rehearsal. We continued rehearsing with the teacher from Michoacán. The piece he is teaching us is very beautiful and I love it. When they gave us a break to eat, my friends and I came to my house because my mother made mole. Since I don't like mole, my mom made salad for me. My friends and I ate everything in that hour and then we started recording TikToks. Then we went back to rehearsal, which ended around 7 p.m. It was an interesting day because I learned things about Michoacán that I did not know, like for example that dance there is super expensive because everything is handmade and embroidered, like the napkins are cross-stitched because they have to have flowers and the dancers’ blouses are all embroidered. I really want to dance there someday!

After rehearsal I got home, bathed and did my makeup because it's my friend's birthday and we organized her a dinner. I had such a good time with my friends at the party. We sang and danced a lot. I love parties. I am a very happy person. I love to liven up everything and I also really like to draw attention to myself. Anyway now I'm back home. I arrived at 12 a.m. because that was my curfew.

Sunday

What a beautiful day! Today I had a very cool and interesting day just like yesterday, because when I went to rehearse I kept learning about so many things that people do in Michoacán thanks to the folklórico teacher who comes from there. He told us about their festivities, how there are always parties there and that people attend even if they are not invited and they make so much food for everyone. He also told us about some local dishes with super strange names and about all the landscapes that we have to visit when we go. He tells us all these amazing things about his homeland. I want to go there so badly!

Today we finished the dance that we have been rehearsing so much. In the evening, the teacher returned to his homeland of Michoacán. Thanks to him, we learned the entire piece. It honestly looks super nice and I want us to perform it in a theater or festival. Today we also received certificates for having attended the Michoacán dance course these past three days. Our teacher was satisfied with the work we did and he returned to Michoacán really happy. Now we just have to wait to perform this piece and buy all the costumes.

At the end of the rehearsal, my brother came to pick me up. My family, grandparents and uncles were waiting at my house. I have a really wonderful time when my family is all together. When I got there my mom served me some steak taquitos that everyone had made together, and they tasted so good. Then my family left and a friend came to visit me — a boy I like. I was really nervous to see him, but I actually had a great time with him. It was a nice moment until he had to go, and then my mom told me to get back inside because we had been talking outside my house and it was starting to get dark.

Claudia Abigail Hernández

is 17 years old and lives in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila. She studies at the Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Industrial y de Servicios No. 54 and also goes to another school called Real English in the afternoons. She is a folklórico dancer with Grupo Folklorico Aquetzalli.