Sábados de Danzón

This happens every week. Saturdays of Danzón are held on the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City, on Saturday afternoons — a free, open-air dance session on the paving of the Plaza de la Constitución.

What danzón is. A Cuban dance that arrived in Mexico through Veracruz at the end of the nineteenth century and became a national institution, with its own etiquette: couples dance in a measured, upright style, pause during the musical interludes, and dress for the occasion. In Mexico City it has been kept alive for decades by dancers who have been coming to the same squares for most of their lives.

Who it is for. Anyone. There is no entry, no booking and no requirement to dance: plenty of people come to watch. If you do want to learn, the opening part of the session is the forgiving moment, and someone will show you the basic step.

Practical notes. Metro Zócalo-Tenochtitlan, line 2, comes out onto the square itself. Confirm the time before going, since city events on the Zócalo occasionally displace it. Bring a hat: there is no shade on the plaza.