Jill HH Lipka

Dancing Skeleton/Esqueleto Danzante

Every few years I make something outside my norm. This piece is no exception. I created this little dancing skeleton in conjunction with the Mexican Heritage Center in Stockton, California, for their 2019 Dia De Los Muertos Celebration.

The puppet waits and is accompanied by another piece I made – a large Catrina that was used in an event by a church in Lodi the previous year.
Opening event – young people laugh while making the puppet dance. One person moves the legs and the other moves the arms – the uncoordinated dance moves can be very original and fun. (Live music by the awesome band Loki Rhythm)

This project was inspired by the marionette puppets I loved to watch as a child. I have fond memories of a Mexican man who sold marionettes along a road between Oxnard and Santa Barbara, California. Standing in the shade of tall eucalyptus trees he held a number of them on each arm and could magically make them come to life. During one of the times we stopped to see his puppets, my parents purchased one for me. This little marionette stayed with my parents up until last year when he finally came back to me. He now lives in my living room and still brings me that happy feeling from my childhood.

I designed and built this interactive sculpture called Esqueleto Danzante – Dancing Skeleton – from the cabinet down to the fingers on the little skeleton puppet. The hardest part was figuring out the overhead rigging and manipulation of his limbs. After some trial and error he came to life with one person working his legs and another working his arms. I had my family play with him and called my neighbors over with their kids to see if it would function property… and we all had a good laugh which meant I was on the right path.

Beginnings of the hands
Filling in the little hands
Talavera pottery inspiration
Rough ideas
Beginning of the head
Working on head weight and rigging
Cabinet planning
Little man inside the cabinet
Working on door swing
Cool light
Starting to look like something
Almost there
Challenge to make him look friendly – not scary
He looks happy
Little puppet wearing toddler shorts.
This image was taken during the Mexican Heritage Center’s Dia de los Muertos Celebration in Stockton 2019.
The gorgeous couple in red are Mariliz Garcia-Williams and her husband Javier. The children are from the Central Valley Arts and Culture dance group with whom I volunteer. Their beautiful butterfly dance was loved by all.
These kids arrived early and I was thrilled to see them as we had met previously at the Collide Festival event where they told me how much they loved my puppet.
Butterfly and hummingbird… meaningful symbols along with the Talavera pottery inspired flowers.
Here I am, ready for the gates to open at the Collide Festival in Stockton 2019.
I was honored to be chosen as a featured artist in the sculpture garden by the Stockton Arts Commission.
The line to play with the puppet was steady all day and into the evening. I was tired by the end of the day, but tired in a good fulfilled kind of way.

The cabinet had a Bluetooth speaker that played Santana’s Oye Como Va on a loop. Solar lights lit the surrounding area while bicycle lights filled the inside of the cabinet with a wonderful blue glow. Kids and their parents loved working together to make the puppet dance. Children in wheelchairs were easily able to bring the puppet to life and my most favorite memory was a sight impaired person being excited that I was thrilled to have him explore the puppet with his hands. These positive responses made all the time and effort worth while.

© 2023 Jill HH Lipka. All rights reserved.

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