Dance and Destruction: The Transnational Movement of Aztec Dance

Angelica M. Yanez
Ethnic Studies
UC San Diego

This project explored the intersection of political and spiritual survival through the cultural space of Aztec dance. Dance forms are significantly a type of entertainment and aesthetics, yet Aztec dance allows us to recognize its far-reaching political implications. In which I argue, reject Eurocentric history and cultural domination that are contested through these cultural performances. Aztec dance therefore, represents an alternative pedagogy to contest forms of power, by redefining agency and community empowerment amongst the transnational community of Mexicans involved with the practice. Focusing on both the transnational orientation and different regions in the United States, I collected testimonies of those involved with Aztec dance since its inception to California from the 1970s. Comparing California dance groups to how others evolved across the nation during the Chicano Movement. This primary data alleviated some gaps in Chicano Movement literature, providing a reconceptualization of indigeneity and social resistance.