Aztec dancers to perform this weekend and celebrate 20 years of being a group
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BLACKFOOT — A local Aztec dance group is celebrating its 20th anniversary this weekend and is inviting the community to learn about its culture.
The Danza Azteca Quetzalcoatl of Blackfoot, a nonprofit, will be performing with its 15 members on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Jensen Grove Park in Blackfoot. It’s free to attend. Past members of the group have been invited for a reunion.
“It’s not just a dance; it’s more spiritual. It’s kind of like a prayer that we do. It’s very meaningful for us. Dancing can go anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour,” said Rocio Luna, one of the leaders of the dance group. “I want people to see a little bit of our culture.”
Incense is used too, to cleanse and purify the group’s prayers.
The group was formed in October 2006 in Blackfoot in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe (the Virgin Mary). It is a mix of women, men and children. The purpose is to represent their ancestors, Mexican culture and their people.
Luna said there wasn’t a dance group like this in Idaho, but there were in Utah.
“They came in 2006 to dance in our Catholic church, and that’s when some people decided that it would be nice to have a group here in Idaho,” she said. “We perform all over southeast Idaho, Utah and northern Idaho and at any type of event for the universities or any ethnic or cultural events that they might have.”
Each dancer has regalia, or special traditional clothing, that is used to honor heritage. According to a biography about the Aztec dance group sent to East Idaho News, the elaborate outfits are made of colorful embroidered cloth and animal skins. It’s often adorned with polished stones or mirrors and accessories made of shells and seed pods. They wear headdresses made of feathers.
The members are from Mexico. Luna is originally from Mexico and has been with the group since it formed in 2006. She is a dancer. Her husband and daughter are both drummers.
Her daughter was in fifth grade when she joined, and now she is 28 years old.
“We’ve been with our group for so long that it’s kind of like family, you know? Everywhere we go, just to be able to spend some time with them and have someone that can share the same feeling as you do and be part of that group is really, really awesome,” Luna said.
She added that there is an individual they love who has been with them since the beginning.
“We have a special needs kid and he started with the group back in 2006. He was a little boy then, and he has Down syndrome. He’s an older kid now, of course, but he stayed with the group. He is really special to us,” she said.
Looking back at all the years the Aztec dance group has been around, Luna said she is grateful that it’s still here and that they are able to pass it along to the younger generations.
“It has been wonderful. Just being able to show our culture around is really cool. It’s just something in your blood that you want to continue,” she said.
The group will have a parade float at the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot to celebrate their 20th anniversary. It’s on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 10 a.m. They will also perform at the fair.
She hopes that people will come and watch on Saturday at Jensen Grove Park to experience the dance for themselves. The dance group biography reads, “The Aztec Dance is one of the most basic expressions of artistic and cultural spirit of the native people of Mexico. For us Aztecs … this tradition is a part of life, and fortunately we can be a part of this fascinating way of life today.”
“Don’t miss it. It’s something really cool. You would have to see it,” Luna said. “It’s a Mexican Aztec dance that’s been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.”
