Aztec Dance Club president Pedro Garcia and his fellow
club members perform an Aztec dance. The club performs
every Tuesday and Friday night in the South Gym.
Photo courtesy of Aztec Dance Club

Aztec culture is alive and well at Fresno State. Every Tuesday and Friday night the halls of the South Gym  come to life with the rhythmic thundering of native drums.

Fresno State students of Aztec descent gather weekly to form what is called the Aztec Dance Club (ADC).  Together, through music and ancient choreographed dance, they pay homage to the Earth and remember their heritage.

“Our group was formed to learn more about our …  heritage,” Pedro Garcia, founder and president of ADC said.

“There are few places that teach anything of the Aztec people. It wasn’t until very recently that Mexico even recognized us as a race,” Garcia said.  “There has been much prejudice against us in years past and so our culture is something parents stopped teaching their children.  For these reasons I formed this group.”

“Yoztalteptl,” Garcia said in his native tongue, “means ‘heart of the town,’ and is the name of the community-formed Aztec group here in Fresno.” Garcia was a member, and its lead drummer at one time, until he began school and carried the ideas with him to Fresno State.

Along with musicians, ADC can perform 26 dances, all of which have specific meaning.

“We will now do ‘Mother Earth,’” Garcia announced to his group Tuesday night, “the dance which pays respect to the element that we dance on.”

Some barefoot student dancers rose up from the floor to a slow tempo.  A shell horn sounded, and as the tempo grew faster, they danced in ways that symbolized elements of fire, waves of water, air and then with their feet pointed to the four corners of Earth.

“I’ve seen them perform twice, once was on Dia de Los Muertos, and it’s pretty awesome, uplifting music,” spectator and biology student Omar Sanchez said.

ADC member and Fresno State student Dulce Marin danced wearing shell-like ankle instruments called Chachayotes, which are essential attire for Aztec dance.

“A lot of members go for just exercise and fun, but when I go, I focus on the ceremonial aspect and I pray,” said Marin.  “There, I feel a connection with oracion (prayer) and it takes away all my negative energy.”

“If I had to choose a favorite dance it would be ‘Tezkatlipoka,’” Garcia said, “which means ‘God of Night and Ancestors.’ As a musician, it is more complex and has a really good tempo,” he said.