Mexiko-City, im Rhythmus des Danzón

“A dancer speaks through his shoes. With his feet, he tells the world how he's feeling. When you are happy, you can see it in your elegant shoes.” 60-year-old Mario Morales is a carpenter and specialist in restoration and gilding who lives in Mexico City - and loves to dance. Every Tuesday, he dons his special Danzón outfit and makes his way to the Salón Los Ángeles, where there is a live Danzón band and scores of other Danzón enthusiasts from all over the 20-million-metropolis. “If you don't know the Salón Los Ángeles, you don't know Mexico City,” says Davide, who uses his mobile phone to broadcast news of the weekly Danzón sessions to 54 countries around the world. The Salón Los Ángeles is indeed special - the last place to still offer weekly Danzón nights complete with MC and the mandatory live Danzón band. The Danzón traces its origins to the French contredanse, which itself evolved from the English tradition of the country dance. Through slaves and migrants, it made its way via Cuba to Mexico in the early twentieth century. There it remains very much alive today: a beloved tradition accompanied by music performed live by Danzón orchestras. Danzón and recorded music simply do not belong together. People dance in the streets as well as in the legendary dance halls, although these have gradually disappeared over the years. The Salón Los Ángeles is the last one remaining. Many of the dancers are elderly, but Danzón brings them together with some younger couples seeking to keep the tradition alive. Together, they celebrate life, love, and community.