Aztec

Dancing

in the

Santa

Clara

Valley


The Aztec Dance is known for its original music and for its  special way 
of expressing reverence and prayer to the  supernatural gods of the sun, 
earth, sky, and water. Originally, the resources accessible to the native 
indians were limited, yet they were able to create lively music with
the howling of the sea conch, and with rhythms produced by drums and by
dried seeds which were usually tied to the feet of the dancers. The
traditional purpose behind the Aztec Dances was modified in the twentieth
century by young adults who now practice and perform theses original
prayer-like rituals as a way to revitalize their culture. The performance
of these dances is now seen as a means of expressing political rage
against the government. It is also considered as a form of exercise.

The Aztec Dance, because of its expression of social, political, 
and cultural issues, has had a tremendous impact on the Mexican-
American community here in the Bay Area. Several Aztec Dance organizations
have developed and the demand for classes of this highly physical dance 
has increased from a countable number of participans to almost 10,000 
nationwide over a period of only a few years.

Some Aztec Dance Studios that have been established in the city of San 
Jose- are listed below:

MACSA Youth Center's Danza Azteca (408) 929-1080, 

Danza Tezkatlipoka (408) 236-2284, 

and Danza Tonatiuh (408) 972-4758
Aztec

Dancing

in the

Santa

Clara

Valley

Further Reading:
