By Outreach Coordinator Cilladean Hopkins
The Amador County Arts Council presents FREE DANZA AZTECA classes open to the community!
All are welcome to join us in the Historic Grammar School to learn Indigenous dance and songs. Starting October 9th, the classes will be held every 2nd and 4th Mondays from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. This class does not require any experience and can be enjoyed by the whole family.
It is important that participants bring water bottles, as there will be a lot of movement being done. Be prepared to work in bare feet or supportive sandals but no heels or slides.
Danza Aztec classes are funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, through the JUMP StArts grant. The JUMP StArts grant supports arts and culture education, apprenticeship and/or mentorship via artists-in-residence programs for system-engaged, system-impacted, and/or at-promise youth and young people through the age of 24.
Classes will be guided by Amador Arts Teaching Artist Jacqueline Diaz, co-director of Danza Azteca Xiuhtecuhtli. Jacqueline says “Danza Azteca, more accurately called Danza Otomi-Chichimeca because of its origins, is an Indigenous dance practice that allows Indigenous Peoples to uphold traditional movement and ceremony. Today, this dance style facilitates an intertribal way of ceremony, allowing participants to connect with their Indigeneity and with a shared homeland, Cemanahuac / Turtle Island. For participants without ancestral connection to Native dance, this practice often leads to a deeper understanding and investigation of their own lineage.” If you have any questions, need additional information, or want to register, please email deja@amadorarts.org or call (209)256-8166.
Established in 1982, the Amador County Arts Council is a 501c3 non-profit organization devoted to advancing rural creative expression throughout Amador County. The Amador County Arts Council is the designated Local Arts Agency and State-Local Partner to the state of California and the California Arts Council, a state agency. Amador County Arts Council acts as a catalyst to sustain a culture of lifelong arts learning by providing hundreds of free art classes and professional support to rural creatives aged 0 to 26 and to the local creative economy at-large. Our services include intercultural advocacy, free online arts directory & calendar, and free grant-writing assistance for local artists and arts organizations. Find out more at amadorarts.org, email info@amadorarts.org, or text/call (209)256-8166.
