Aztec Dance - from "The Eagle's Children"

http://www.docfilm.com -"The Eagle's Children" (38 min)- "La Danza de la Conquista del Gran Tenochtitlan", also known as "Los Concheros", "Danza Azteca", & "Danza Chichimeca", traces its origins to pre-Columbian Nahua ("Aztec") roots. Its adherents are organized into dance groups, each led by a "Capitan de Danza", whot obeys one of the "Generales" who head distinct lineages and claim to pass traditional lore down from before the Spanish invasion of Mexico. The "Danzantes" must take part in a complex series of "obligaciones" throughout the year. At the great annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Chalma, thousands of "Danzantes" from Mexico and the US gather for four days of ritual and dance.

Since the 1960's, Mexican dance teachers like Florencio Yescas and Andres Segura have brought the "Danza" to the US. The Eagle's Children follows Mexican-American "Danzantes" to Chalma, Central Texas, and San Diego, as they rediscover their indigenous heritage.


"One day we shall rise reunited,
Gaining strength from the New Sun
To fulfill our destiny." - Cuauhtemoc, last Aztec ruler


"The Eagle's Children is a valuable document of the Conchero tradition and its journey to Aztlan; a glimpse into the ancient soul of Mesoamerica and a tribute to the power of ritual dance."

Enrique LaMadrid
Chicano/Hispano/Mexicano Studies
University of New Mexico

"The Eagle's Children is a tremendously sensitive film addressing very important issues about dance in general. The film highlights most of the issues about the inner meaning of dance to self and community, from the symbolic and social, to the personal and experiential."

Allegra Fuller Snyder
Department of Dance
University of California at Los Angeles

Ethnoscope Film & Video

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Danza
• Concheros
• Chicanos
• Mexico
• Chalma
• Aztec
• Chichimec
• Chichimeca
• Azteca
• Chicano
• Danza Azteca

[Redmantilidie]

(this is true with my own clan the Dakotahs). you should see the look on children face when I tell them the Mexicans are no less native then the Sioux, Apache, Pomo, Comanche, Lakotah, Dine(Navajo), Yaqui, Abenaki, Kickapoo, Narragansett, and so on. we can always find ways to separate with each other. We need to focus on how we can come together. I say this for our children sake. who is going to be there to teach them? if we don't keep the old ways alive our children will be left to learn....

[Redmantilidie]

Actually, it's not nice. you see the reall connection to the past is with in the language and the ceromonys. is you take on another religion you've lost you connection to the past, but I dont exspect most people to agree

[Redmantilidie]

...from books that where not written by us nor do they have the understanding of who we are. I have seen the books that they have in the educational system today our people in those books are all haggard and dusty, hair is messy. what they don't tell you is that they had been on the run from the Calvary for several years trying not to get killed. what child would look at the photos and want to identify with that? our ancestor lived very beautifully. if most people only knew.

[Redmantilidie]

yet there are so many who attack those who want to know the old ways. People are just trying to come home. we need to humble our selves and once again be a tribe or nation and share with each other. We where once the Great Red Nation, from our own tribe, clan, etc. no matter if we where from the south or north we all had our ways given to us by the Great Spirit. Today there is this mindset that the north American Indians are more native then those from Central America.

[Redmantilidie]

Today a lot of our people want to identify with our indigenous roots. so its common knowledge that the Aztecs are down there. most of our people don't have access to those who carry the teachings. See in the old days your uncle was you teacher. He would take you around the age of 9 or so and began to walk with you as you went through you coming of age. So today where are all the uncles? who will guide our children?

[Redmantilidie]

My uncle, (who is a traditional teacher by birth) raised us to know that just because you have native blood or live on the reservation doesn't mean that all natives follow the ways of the red man. there are tons of native who live on the res and don't speak the old language. its about the ceremony you involve your self with. the commitments you make to the Great mystery.

[srikrishnajay]

Can someone explain me how "mexicans" only relate to the Mexica "Aztecs" only, when currently there are 62 Nations/Tribes in the Mexican United States?

How many of you belong to the Apaches, killiwas, kumeaay, Tarascan, Waxirikah, Cochee'mi, kik'apu, Quice, Tono ooh´tam, Abxubal, P´urhépecha and so on?

I know the Mexica were a great civilization, but what about the rest of the nations/tribes?

To you with all respect.

[srikrishnajay]

I agree!

[VENOMOUSTESTAMENT]

thank u soooo much for posting this! <3

[cholodesanfe87]

i respect your comments, are you a Native American?