inspiration for the story

The Departure: A young couple leaves their home in northern Mexico with a bittersweet farewell dance with their friends and family. The opportunities of New York City await them. There they find work as garment makers and, through long hours of hard labor, make their living and begin a family. 

Mexican Traditions:  Years have passed, and it’s the 12th of December. The sound of the church bells calls the family to the celebration of La Virgen de Guadalupe.  At the gathering, the young girl observes the dances of the concheros, native dances honor the Aztec diety Tonantzin with now a strong Christian influence.  The family enjoys the music of the mariachi and the dances in her honor.  The parents look for every opportunity to share their traditions with their child with the hope that she will make the traditions her own. 

The Holidays: When leaving school, the young girl learns of a special performance. There she enjoys popular holiday music and dance with her friends, very different from what she experiences with her family. The performance also brings a surprise- classical music and ballet featuring a toy soldier and a ballerina. At the end, friends welcome her into the after party with all performers dancing.

The Division: The young girl joins her family for a yearly ritual- making tamales for the posada they host on the 24th of December.  Guests bring Mexican gifts of poinsettias, fruits and sweets, sweet bread, a piñata, music, and dance. The fandango begins! The parents urge the young girl to join them, but she remains apart. More guests arrive with la rama (the branch)- a Christmas tradition in Veracruz. Unable to enjoy the celebration without her, the parents bring the young girl into the fandango against her wish. She wants for the celebration to include her music also.  She tries to be heard first by her parents, other guests, but no one hears her. Unable to hold her frustration any longer, she storms out of the room, bringing the celebration to an end.    

The Dream: Alone in her room, the young girl tries to understand what came over her. She turns to her phone to search for ideas and doesn’t find what she sees in her two worlds. The emotions have taken their toll on her, and she can’t resist a deep sleep. When she awakens, the bright colors of the day call to her. Abruptly she realizes she is not in her home, but in fact in a wintery world.  She dances with joy in this new land only to pause when a distant sound approaches. She hides while magical dancers move gloriously. They welcome a Charro Toy Soldier. His friendly demeanor put her at ease.  Nearby, though, a mischievous character stalks the soldier and girl, offering a warning of separation. The soldier brings other friends including Las Hadas (the fairies), Santa’s Tapatias, and more Charro Toy Soldiers. Out of the shadows, Diablo appears with his message. Diablo is not evil. Diablo simply wants for all to be clear and separate. Very separate. The creatures of this world fear Diablo because their existence is just what Diablo wants to undo. But the young girl wants to hear what Diablo has to say. The Charro Toy Soldier returns with reinforcements- one of the brave hadas who believes cultures can come together. Diablo and La Hada duel for the young girl.

Rejoining Family: The young girl awakens from the dream-turned-nightmare to find her parents watching over her. Her delight in seeing them can’t be contained. Together they rejoin the celebration that continues.  There she surprises her parents with a gift they had long hoped to receive.