Danza Azteca, also known as Danza Mexica, is a cultural dance tradition practiced throughout the country. Its origins date back thousands of years to ancient Mesoamerican ceremonies of Mexico and Central America.
The tradition took hold in the United States during the 1970s thanks in large part to a group of dancers called Esplendor Azteca. One of those dancers is still teaching today and has dedicated his life to promoting Danza Azteca in Los Angeles.
Lazaro Arvizu has dedicated his life to promoting Danza Azteca. One of his dancers, Rosa Bautista explained the significance of the dancers' wardrobe and the rituals around dancing.
"Some of the regular things that you will see dancers wearing at a danza is something in their head. It could be anything from just the feather to the actual big, more extravagant headdress. Then, of course, the ayoyotes, which are the ones that you put on your legs," she said. "Before we first do any kind of dance, we bless the five points. You're blessing north, south, east and west. You're blessing the sun, and you're blessing the land. It's almost like asking permission from nature, from everything around you, to do this dance."
Xipe Totec member Chula Escareno explained that the steps the dancers do inform the way he drums. He said each step has a name and tells a story that goes beyond simply performing choreography.
Escareno talked about how Arvizu brings his community together through dance.
"It's like that relentless heart pumping," he said. "He pumps up the culture, the traditions, and he inspires, I think, another side into each one of us because he doesn't really teach everything that we know. But he does inspire everything that goes beyond and connects it to Danza Azteca."
The Xipe Totec dancers perform for various locations and events throughout the year, from parades to longer shows on Olvera Street in Los Angeles. Their dances honor their own culture, as well as cultures from Central America and other Indigenous groups.
“What I really love about this particular group is that they welcome everybody," Bautista said. "You don't have to be Latino. They welcome everybody. They are like 'come and learn' because they want to share the love of danza and connecting the danza with everybody. It doesn't matter what culture you are."
You can find more about Arvizu and the group on Instagram. Classes are offered throughout the week with performances almost every weekend.
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