A Dancing Nun is a horror movie in Mexico
The nefarious nun stood in the middle of a carnival attraction at the national fair in Durango, Mexico, with her black veil draped and her demonic teeth gnarled.
Then the rotating ride known as a tagada began. The rave-like rhythms of a song blared, riders shouted and the nun’s dance moves – shoulder shimmies, hip swings, finger guns – delighted and unnerved thousands of fairgoers, who posted videos of the eccentric show on social media.
These clips, which have racked up tens of millions of views since the summer, have turned the character into a beloved icon of horror and partying in Mexico, where she is known as “la Monja de la Feria,” or the nun of the fair.
She’s at the traveling fair most days, drawing hundreds of people to a ride that’s less about the actual mechanical swirls and more about the movements of a performer dressed as a character from the 2018 spinoff horror film “The Nun.” from ‘The Magicians.”
While the backstory of the person behind the mask remains largely a mystery, her movements atop the spinning ride have brought joy to a country long captivated by tales of ghosts and spirits, especially at this time of year. Mexicans celebrate Día de Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, in early November, one of the most important celebrations to honor the spirits of deceased loved ones.
One user summarized the response with a comment on a TikTok video of the nunwhich has been viewed over 70 million times: “Why is this so funny and so scary lol.”
A bit Mexican Media outlets have identified the person in the costume as a 17-year-old girl from the state of Guanajuato. She did not respond to messages sent this week to a Facebook page that appeared to belong to her. Phone calls and emails to Espectaculares García, the company that organizes the fairs, were also not answered.
The teenager doesn’t seem eager to bask in the glory. In a video interview shared via TikTok, two reporters ask her what it feels like to be the most popular nun in Mexico. “Well, I feel good,” she replies in Spanish, nervously holding her hands, which she wears in gray costume gloves with claws.
When asked how she manages to dance and balance so well while the ride is turning, she essentially says, I just do it.
She seems humble and even shy without a mask, but her pride in playing the character is also evident. The inspiration for the show, she says, was a 25-year-old friend who was a hard worker and had recently passed away.
Christina Baker, a professor of Latin American studies at Temple University who has researched theater and performance in Latin America, said she was fascinated by the videos.
“It’s this whirlwind of sights and sounds and, honestly, I don’t know, it’s this otherworldly experience,” Ms Baker said. “It’s a transformative, sensory phenomenon with a creepy nun at the center.”
Dancing well in such an elaborate costume obviously requires a lot of practice. “The amount of effort they put into all those movements, plus staying still,” Ms. Baker said, adding: “This is someone who just likes to go out and party, or maybe has some dance training. ”
Still, she added, “When you add a beat to it, you’re like – cool.”
Laura G. Gutiérrez, a professor of Latino performance studies at the University of Texas at Austin who has researched Mexican performance, visual culture and feminism, said there are many cultural undertones visible, including in the song included in the remix. sampled.
The song is “Las monjitas”, meaning ‘The Nuns’, from Grupo Exterminador, a band that plays corridos, which are ballads that emerge from an oral tradition of storytelling.
The song tells the story of nuns who are part of a group that smuggles illegal drugs such as cocaine.
Ms. Gutiérrez said the demonic nun in the video reflects the daring quality of the nuns in the song and defies normal expectations of piety.
She noted that the demonic nun dances at a public fair, an affordable, entertaining place for families. “Mexicans are so resourceful when it comes to creating their own forms of entertainment for each other,” Ms. Gutiérrez said.
Ignacio Sánchez Prado, a professor of Spanish and Latin American studies at Washington University in St. Louis who specializes in Mexican culture, said the nun’s costume also underlines how Mexico is deeply influenced by American culture, especially when it comes to films go.
Indeed, a film about a demonic nun – ‘The Nun’ in 2018 – was the ninth most-watched film in Mexico in cinemas, according to the office from the Mexican Minister of Culture. In the United States the film reached number 26 that year, according to IMDB.
But for many Mexicans and others dressing up as nuns this Halloween, the inspiration is not Hollywood, but “la Monja de la Feria.”
Yesenia Garcia, 31, from Pomona, California, said she couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of the nun’s videos, so it became clear to her what her outfit should be this year.
She bought a nun costume and then built a makeshift ride out of pipes and cardboard to place around her like a skirt.
Ms. Garcia said she took second place in a costume contest in her city this month, and a video showing her outfit has been viewed more than 30 million times on TikTok.
“Only in Mexico,” she said, referring to the trends emerging from the country’s unique mix of cultures. “It’s hilarious.”
During the game, Ms. Garcia said, the children initially stared at her in bewilderment. But then the music started and they jumped around her, spinning and skipping. Mrs. Garcia, too, spun around and around, her eyes black and stationary, her smile permanently turning into a toothy snarl. ¡La Monja!