Los guajes or "Rattles"

Opening sequence: Standard.

Dance pattern: The abuelo calls for "¡Guajes!" and the danzantes in the left line turn to face the back. One line now facing forward, the other back, the pairs opposite each other join right hands with their guajes held aloft. This forms a succession of arches.The lead dancer of the left line, however, hasn’t turned or joined guajes with his opposite. The monarca dances up to him and joins right hands, guajes aloft, in an arch. The malinche is to the monarca’s right, so that as the monarca and danzante circle clockwise, she dances under the arch their arms make. Monarca and malinche then turn from the first dancer in the left line to circle with the first dancer in the right. They continue in this manner up the line, from couple to couple, left dancer to right. Each couple breaks the guaje-arch they’ve formed when monarca and malinche approach. They reestablish it after they’ve finished dancing with monarca and malinche.

The ground pattern of los guajes is similar to that of la ese excepts that here the monarca approaches each man in the left line from in front and each man in the right line from behind (Figure 23). By staying to the monarca’s right as he approaches each dancer, the malinche is always in the correct position to pass under the arch. The abuelo follows monarca and malinche up the lines.

When each man has danced, and monarca and malinche are at the back, the abuelo calls for turns, and the pattern is repeated in reverse order, the right line now facing backward, the left forward. Now the men raise their left hands, holding their palmas aloft. This time the monarca approaches each man in the right line from in front and each man in the left line from behind. The malinche stays at the monarca’s left to be in a position to dance beneath the arch. After each danzante has had his turn, he moves back into line rather than remaking the arch with the dancer opposite him.

Closing sequence: Standard.