Aztec Dance, Transnational Movements: Conquest of a Different Sort

This article explores the rapid growth of participation in Aztec dance in Mexico, the increasing transnational movement of Aztec dancers across national borders, and the mixed receptions experienced by dancers in their efforts to forge networks with indigenous communities on a global level. Examining a discourse of conquest that has been reinvigorated and recirculated over centuries, I suggest that such ideas may thwart Aztec dancers' alliance-building efforts and may raise important questions about indigenous identity, appropriation, and group boundaries.