Jumping, twirling, in the air like a lost feather
we dance
we dance together in a circle as if we found each other again
the smell of copal reminds me of a distant sunday morning Catholic church service
the spanish clergy took it from the indigenous and claimed it a Catholic tradition
saying goodbye to father sun and welcoming the night with Coyoxaqui in the stars
my feet hurt, bruise, get cut, blisters bleed
the ceremony begins...
We practice in a recreational center, in a gym, in one of the reservation I lived in called panorama city in Van Nuys. The circle that I started learning the sacred Danza Azteca was lead by two "cabezas". Bloch and Faul. These two cabezas are the ones who "teach", "lead', the Danzas and set the example of the male energy danzantes.
The people that were doing this ceremony were of many different ages, colors, and more important philosophies. As I gazed at them doing their ceremony I thought, reflected, thought again, reflected again and finally understood some of the meanings(or at least I thought I did). Strangely enough my biggest fear was not being accepted because of my colored eyes, light skin, and short hair.
It took me about three weeks to finally jump in the circle and give it a shot. Without help from others I ran in there with shorts and chicken untanned legs. I sweated, missed steps, got blisters, and slipped I even fell! I learned how to ask for permission to the four directions to offer a Danza and to do certain prayers before I start a Danza. It was beautiful! I was beginning to understand the concept of the Danza Azteca with in a couple of months. My sisters Karen, Fernanda and brothers Cuauhtemo, Bryan and Medardo were the people that taught me how to walk again and pray. I thank them for their time, luv, and most of all their patience.
Most people think that you get to wear what ever you want to like the feathers, the traje,
chachallotes, sonaja and the rest of the things you put on to complement your traje. But no in the Danza
nation of Cuahutemoc you must earn the right to carry the sonaja the chachallotes, feathers, traje and the rest of the things that you carry. Some Danza nations are different and this is where the politriks come in.
There are three reasons why Danzantes people do Danza or are in a group that falls in these categories. (Im sure there are more but these are the most broad in the Danza movement and I will talk about these).
Danzantes for the Church that Danze for saints. (Catholic) These are the descendants that hid the sacred danzas from the spanish crown behind or in Spanish instruments made from Armadillo shells. Special homage is given to these because if it weren't for them then there wouldn't be any Danza at all.
Danzantes for a political cause/reason. Either as a form of resistance or another political reason. Usually we see these Danzantes in protests or marches.
Danzantes for the show or to make $. These are the Danzantes that are strictly to make $ or
just for the fashion. (they do Danza around, nerby or in placita Olvera)
Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc was the Nation that I started in which is a strictly political
nation. Almost militaristic in its nature and structure.
In the up coming months that follow a series of things began to happened in my life that change its course...
My compas Cuauhtemoc and Bryan got black listed from Cuauhtemoc de Sepulveda park and were forced to resign.
I joined the I.S.O. (International Socialist Organization) of LA.
Being a Marxist, having communist philosophies and being a member of the International Socialist Organization got me blacklisted from being a Mechistas in Los Angeles Valley college.
It was in the winter of that year in 2008 were I got invited to join a caravan to visit the Zapatistas carakoles. I came back a totally different person. My world was turned inside out.
Tune in tomorrow for my last blog on this cliff hanger
