Aztec Dancer

Veronica became a traditional Aztec dander in 1996 with Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc. Since then, she has earned the titles of cabeza and maestra, which gives her the permission and responsibility of teaching traditional Aztec/Mexica dance in the community.

Veronica not only teaches Danza Azteca/Mexica at Bell Arts Factory in the city of Ventura, with her partners and co-cabezas Teotl Goitia and Magdalena Rodriguez, but she also created and teaches the course "Aztec Dance and Culture" at Cal State Channel Islands.

Along with a number of her students, she established the first Aztec Dance student club at CSUCI, "Danza Tlaloc Ollin", the first of its kind at any university. 

Aztec Dance Club "Danza Tlaloc Ollin" at Cal State Channel Islands

Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc

Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc is a community of people dedicated to preserving and promoting Mexica/Azteca culture, ceremonies, warrior dances, and traditions of our Indigenous ancestors. Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc works to build unity, understanding, mutual respect and harmony amongst all nations. This is done by coming together and supporting one another in the struggle for political, economic, environmental, social and cultural justice.

We preserve our culture by teaching and practicing the Mexica/Azteca dance, learning the accurate and true history of our people, creating art and dance regalia, studying the Sun Stone (Aztec calendar), studying and practicing our native language of Nahuatl, studying Mexica/Azteca and Mayan math, building political consciousness and much more.    

We live our culture; this is who we are and we live accordingly. We are not a performance dance troop. 

We invite you to learn with us, watch us dance or invite us to share our danzas at your school, community space or at a social justice struggle in your community. We have class every Monday from 7:00PM-8:30PM at Bell Arts Factory, 432 N. Ventura Avenue, Ventura CA. You can reach us at arteyolteotl@gmail.com.

Photos by Marie Gregorio-Oviedo