Dia de los Muertos Vigil | Day of the Dead in Vizcaya Village

What is Danza Conchera?

Sacredness through the millenniums:

Danza de Concheros, surviving many Conquests,

By Antonia Guerrero.

The Danza de Concheros or Aztec Dance is a sacred dance ritual that has its roots in the very origins of the Mesoamerican civilizations that flourished for millenniums. The sacred circle of life is represented in a communal dance practice that has survived through many conquests. It brings together men, women and children to celebrate Creation and the forces of nature in a mystical spiritual form through dance, song, music and offerings of flowers and incense.

Today, countless and multiple communities of indigenous, campesino, rural and urban, young and old peoples are engaged in upholding a tradition associated with the ancient nahua people from the central region of Mexico. The importance of the Danza de Concheros through its oral tradition and practice, lies not only in recapturing an ancient past, but more precisely in its relevance to 21st century concerns about the survival of planet Earth.

The ancient cultures of this American continent have much to offer in helping modern civilization find its way back to a more balanced existence.

“Circles are important to the natural world: the sun, moon, and Earth are circles, with the Earth inside the circles of the sun and the moon. In a circle, all can see each other. No one is greater or lesser. All are equal. There is always an order. Danza requires discipline for entering into that order. If the circle moves to the left, the danzante has to move to the left; if to the right, the danzante must similarly follow. Danza is an implicit and explicit recognition of a divine order based on an understanding of cycles or circles and the importance of these to health and well-being” (Angela Valenzuela, Emilio Zamora & Brenda Rubio, Voices in Urban Education)