Lady Gaga has just dropped the music video for ‘The Dead Dance,’ part of the expanding Wednesday universe. In it, Gaga steps into the role of Rosaline Rotwood, a legendary Nevermore teacher whose dark past threatens to shake the very core of the institution. The video, already visually stunning on its own, is directed by Tim Burton.
With a gothic, cinematic aesthetic, Gaga transforms into a doll brought to life among trees covered in eerie, weathered dolls. The surreal choreography—already sparking buzz across social media—blends dance with the macabre, set against striking black-and-white visuals that pay homage to classic horror cinema.
And perhaps the most chilling detail: the backdrop isn’t a studio set at all. The video was shot on location in Mexico City—at the infamous Isla de las Muñecas, which translates to The Island of the Dolls.
The Island of the Dolls: One of Mexico City’s Creepiest Legend
Tucked away in the canals of Xochimilco, Mexico City, sits one of the eeriest attractions in the country: La Isla de las Muñecas. At first glance, it looks like a horror movie set—trees and huts covered with hundreds of weathered, headless, or broken dolls hanging from branches. But behind the unsettling visuals is a story that has haunted visitors for decades.
The legend begins with Don Julián Santana Barrera, a man who lived on the island in the 1950s. According to local lore, Julián discovered the body of a young girl who had drowned in the canal. Soon after, he found a doll floating in the water, which he hung on a tree as a sign of respect and protection for her spirit.
But Julián didn’t stop there. He claimed he began hearing whispers, footsteps, and the cries of the girl’s ghost. To keep her spirit at peace, he started collecting and hanging more dolls—eventually covering the entire island.
Over time, the island turned into a chilling shrine. Visitors say the dolls’ eyes seem to follow you, and some claim they’ve seen them move or whisper at night. In a strange twist of fate, Don Julián himself was later found dead in 2001—reportedly in the same canal where the young girl drowned.
Now, La Isla de las Muñecas is a popular—if spooky—tourist destination in Xochimilco. Locals and visitors alike take boats, or trajineras, down the canals to see the island up close. While some see it as terrifying, others view it as a place of cultural memory, blending Mexico’s love of legend with its very real history of honoring the dead.
The Island of the Dolls on August 19, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Eyepix/Getty Images)
Now that you’ve watched Lady Gaga’s video and know the legend, would you be brave enough to visit the Island of the Dolls?
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