Aztec Dance in Honor of Cuauhtemoc

Sat. Feb 28, 2009 Lincoln Heights: Hundreds of dedicated dancers and devotees to preserving the timeless culture and dance of the Aztecs came together to celebrate and honor Cuauhtemoc. Cuauhtemoc was the Aztec ruler (tlatoani) of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521. The name Cuāuhtemōc means "One That Has Descended Like an Eagle" in Nahuatl — commonly rendered in English as "Falling Eagle" — and wrong was pronounced [kʷaːwˈtemoːk].^[1] The day swelled with color, love and passionate pride from the late morning to early evening and was filled with the sounds of hypnotic drums and the type of unity which arises from the collective bonds of a people tied and connected to thier history. Continuing on with the marvelous task of keeping its stories and customs alive through traditional dance, costume and some pretty kick ass exotic percussive instruments that I had never seen before. To view scenes from thedancing, visit the video I created "Aztec Boogie" here on Vimeo.