Concheros dance - Mexican Ritual Dance

The Concheros dance, also known as the Chichimecas, Aztecas and Mexicas, is an important traditional dance and ceremony which has been performed in Mexico since early in the colonial period. It presents syncretic features both pre-Hispanic and Christian. The dance has strong visual markers of its pre-Hispanic roots with feathered regalia, indigenous dance steps and indigenous instruments such as drums.

The dance itself is enthralling and genuinely entertaining; it’s overflowing with life, percussion-heavy beats and filled with religious significance to boot. Each routine reflects the duality of the Aztec culture, with women, the night, the jaguar and the earth on one side and men, the day, the eagle and water on the other, and features circles heavily.

However, entertainment is not the principal objective; rather, honouring the Gods and forming a link with the cosmos is the overall goal of the concheros’ dance. For that reason, the four cardinal points are blessed before the start of the routine and steps are dedicated to the harvest, fertility, earth, fire and water.