The Mask and the Dance

The Mask and the Dance KITTY ALICE SNEAD In the spring of 1998 I traveled into Mexico’s Copper Canyon region for the first time to experience the Tarahumara observance of Semana Santa or Holy Week. That was such a fundamentally moving experience for me that I returned many times to continue my sojurn into the Sierras. Each time I travel a little further from the road to witness the different ceremonial events and a more traditional way of living in the indigenous culture. What I have often experienced during the matechine dance is the feeling of being mesmerized by the repetitive refrains in the music, the sound of dancer’s feet on hard-packed earth, the rattle’s whirr, and the chapeyokos’ call. Visually it can be magical and most especially so at night with the masks lit only by warming fires. KITTY ALICE SNEAD explores ancient cultures and their rituals as they exist in modern times. Her art is collected by the Wittliff Gallery of Southwestern & Mexican Photography and private individuals. Snead resides in Dallas, Texas. She may be reached through her web site, www.kasneadphotographs.com. Journal of the Southwest 50, 2 (Summer 2008) : 207–226 ...