Danza Cuauhtemoc - Baldwin Park

La Danza Cosmica :
The art of harmonic movement

According to the tradition of many ancient people, all things move harmonically with everything around them. They move in union with all other living things. The human being, like all other things, must also move in harmony  with the environment and with all other people. DANZA is one way in which the human being moves in physical, spiritual, political, scientific, philosphical, and historical harmony. It recognizes the power of natural forces, philosophy, animals, historical figures and events. It is also a method of  " mass communication " of ideas about tradition and history to many different people.
It is important to note that DANZA is spritiual without being religious. It does not profess a set of beliefs tied to a particular way of representing a supreme being, nor codes of morality, nor recognition of prophecy. It does teach about the traditional ways in which  people have understood these issues so that their inheritors may connnect across time to traditional ideas.
Among the many misconceptions promoted by scholars is the idea that the Mexicas " worshipped  many  gods ". Our oral tradition preserved within Danza teaches us that OMETEOTL represented a singular but dual power related to the inherent contradiction in all things. All of the alleged "gods" of the Mexica are simply interpretations of the various forces that sustain life,and are featured both in masculine and feminine form.
Most importantly, Danza demonstrates a unique type of on-going cultural and politcal resistance of peoples whose history predates colonialism. Danza was outlawed during much of the colonization period because it was seen as "pagan" or "wicked' by the Catholic authorities, who ironically began to integrate both practices and days of ceremony from the traditional people. The native "root" of Mexico has survived in many ways that include Danza.

Some interesting considerations:

  • Most DANZA groups are community-based groups that advocate cultural preservation, but Danza Cuauhtemoc involves itself in political issues that affect the Mexican community because we see political resistance as crucial to the survival of tradition and history.
  • Dancers both in the United States and Mexico represent both women and men of all age groups and social classes.
  • Because DANZA connects the ancient past of Mexico, it tends to transcend the BORDER and all generational differences among Mexicanos. It relates even 2nd and 3rd generation Mexicanos living in the US with tradition that predates the border.


Cuauhtmoc Ceremony
Circa 1990
Brownpride.com
A shield - escudo or Chimal - used in traditonal dance.
Created by Hercules.
A ceramic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe - tonanzin - created by Richard and
Diane Giron.
One of many images of DANZANTES preserved in the various documents by the Mexicas.