When I dance,
In one hand I hold my feathers and my panuelo, and in the other I hold my rattle.
When I open the four cardinal directions,
I see the water, land, fire, and air, personified, and feel them kiss my cheek.
When I kneel at the altar,
I offer my prayer of dance, in exchange for strength and protection.
When the grandfather drum beats to our songs,
It is as if I had my ear to the chest of my great grandmother.
When I offer my prayer,
My ancestors huddle around the altar, to watch and listen.
When I kick my feet,
The ayoyotes on my ankles make a sound that resembles rainfall on the driest of days.
When I spin,
My feet dig into the mud.
When I smell the copal burning, and feel the heat of the smoke on my face,
My throat opens up and my spirit is taken aback 500 years.
When the ceremony closes,
My ancestors shake hands with my fellow dancers’ ancestors.
When my elders stand beside me,
I feel safety and comfort, one that cannot be found anywhere else.
On days that I do not dance,
My ancestors walk behind me and hold my chin up.
I am my ancestors' wildest dreams, I am a product of their survival and resilience, and because of that, I live for them.
I am a part of a Danza Prehispanica/Azteca group called Kalpulli Itzkoatl Tezkatlipoka, where we dance in ceremonies, events, and protests, in the traditional style of indigenous Mexican traditions. Our dances are like prayers, where we pray to our ancestors for guidance and protection, and pray to Madre Tierra and nature. For almost 500 years, my ancestors were banned from their culture and traditions, but when I dance with my group and my relatives, I feel as though i'm releasing all of the build up energy, trauma, pain, passion and love, that my family was forced to keep held inside them while being forced to assimilate and fit in, to the standards of european society, and religion. Danza gives me a drive and passion to grow, and live a fulfilling life, along with preserving my Native American/Native Mexican culture, so my children and so on, can remember their roots.