Danza Azteca, exercise or sacred tradition?

* This is in response to a story posted on NewsTaco yesterday, about a former Danza performer who has turned the ritual dance into an exercise class. Tradition vs outreach? Is an Aztec Danza exercise class a legitimate way to introduce culture? What is lost? Virginia Necochea writes that a Danza exercise class is a cooptation of a sacred tradition. VL

By La Blogadora (aka Virginia Necochea)

“If you like Zumba, you’ll love Aztec Fitness.”  Is this what our danza has been relegated to?

Cuauhtemokzin, the last speaker of the Mexika people, and all of our capitanes, capitanas, generales, and generalas who battled to preserve our beautiful danza must be turning in their graves knowing that danza is becoming a trendy form of exercise…

Danza, in the various traditions that it exists today, should not be disrespectfully relegated to the same level as an exercise or sport.  Danza is not about movement intended to burn calories.  Every single movement our bodies undertake actually means something very profound that is related to our cosmic identity, but after reading this disturbing story, obviously not all “danzantes” know or respect this.

Just because you hear that danza would seem like a great workout doesn’t mean that you should then offer it as an exercise class.  Serious? What is this supposed “danzante” thinking?  Oh wait… is there a charge for the class?  That might explain it.  Most danzantes wouldn’t even think of doing such a thing to something that is so meaningful to us but if the billete (dollar bill) is involved, I can see why a few might cross into the dark, capitalistic side.

According to Landeros, she just focuses on the “the exercise part. We don’t use any incense or anything that deals with the sacredness.”  What? I can hear so many others danzantes saying – “for real?”  This statement alone reflects her very shallow understanding of what danza entails.  It’s not the incense – el copalito – that makes danza suddenly sacred, it is everything it represents and is connected to.  Please explain to me – a soldada in danza for over 13 years – how you extract the exercise part from danza?

The sacredness and respect mind you, comes from the traditions, history, and significance embodied in every single movement we do in danza and what danza itself represents.  We dance because we have committed ourselves to continue the powerful traditions of our ancestors.  We dance because it is symbolic of our continued resistance to oppression from a society that tried to do away with our guerra florida or flower wars as our danza signifies.  Simply removing the 4 directions, the “incense,” and the knowledge connected to danza does not classify it as a form of exercise.

I don’t think I am as offended by the folks taking the class thinking they have met their “culture quota” of the day.  No, I am most offended and shocked by the individuals who are profiting from our sacred traditions. It’s one thing to teach danza to youth in a school or to take danza to a community where individuals are taught about the history and power connected to danza and then make the conscious decision to commit themselves to continuing the tradition of danza. But it is quite another to ignorantly claim to offer the “exercise” version to people who have no intention or knowledge of the seriousness of this ancient energetic form.

This “trend” is yet another shocking example of the cooptation of culture that happens thanks to narrow-minded individuals who have no right to call themselves a “danzante.”

La Blogadora: I am an educator-activist, mother, and a danzante Azteca.  I engage in continuous battles against systems and structures intended to oppress people.  I use my voice as a weapon against marginalization.  I refuse to be silent or silenced.  Check out my weekly rant on various subjects ranging from educational justice to whiteification – lablogadora.com. 

[Photo by Mark/Flickr]

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