Tolteca Izkalotl

Otro hermoso ensayo en Casa de La Raza tlasokamati 🪶👣🥁🌧️🐚💨

Muchas gracias Isla Vista Recreation & Park District por invitarnos a participar y celebrar nuestras culturas afro-indígenas en nuestra comunidad.
Thank you for inviting us to celebrate and honor Afro-indigenous history and culture in our Isla Vista community!

Estamos muy agradecidos por un bonito ensayo de danza esta noche en Santa Bárbara. Los esperamos cada viernes en la Casa de la Raza. Tlasohkamati! 👣🥁🐚💨🌙

Thank you Future Leaders of America for inviting Compa Xente to teach danza at this year’s staff retreat. We are so proud of the staff for deciding to make danza a part of FLA’s cultural activities! 🐚💨👣☀️

Este fin de semana te invitamos apoyar a nuestra comunidad en Santa Barbara con su energía. Todxs Danzantes Bienvenidxs! 🐚💨👣☀️

Thank you to Isla Vista Recreation & Park District for inviting us to be part of the Forward Ever Backward Never Event for Black History Month. We are grateful to have shared our ancestral tools for reconnecting and empowerment with the community. Our favorite part was when everyone joined us for the Unity dance! It was a beautiful event that brought together many beautiful people and created commUNITY ✊🏾 Tlaz’kmati ☀️

Yo soy MAÍZ! 🌽
Mis manos son la tierra!
Mis ojos el agua!
Mi aliento es el aire!
YO SOY MAÍZ!

Hoy el círculo de danza se enfocó en el trabajito del jardín, enseñándole a los jóvenes cómo sembrar y mantener el maíz en nuestra comunidad.

Today, our dance circle focused efforts on our communal garden while teaching the young ones how to plant and nurture the corn for our community.

The beginner’s drum and dance group is becoming sharper every time! 👣 This was our first time practicing at Cody’s Cafe ☕️ we talked about the importance of re-connecting with our ancestors through ancestral food options 🥙. We also worked on the dance of Ozomatli 🐵 and had lots of fun! We look forward to seeing everyone next week! ☀️

Tolteca Izkalotl updated their business hours.

“The word ‘Toltec’ means ‘artist’ and the art we are creating is the art of our lives.” - Don Miguel Ruiz Jr.



Beginner’s danza - 2/19/22

On this day we used maestro Arturo Meza’s book, “Arte de calcular El Cauhpohualli: La Cuenta del Tiempo” to learn more about ourselves and using ancestral ways of keeping time. We also practiced the danza of “Fuego”, shared oranges and granola bars, and checked-in. It was a beautiful session today! ☀️🌱👣🐚💨🥁

Today we had two new beautiful faces join us. We reviewed our opening song and the grounding danza of “permiso”. We also shared stories and traditions that were passed down by our elders. It was also the first time we used the new drum. Overall, we had a beautiful and insightful gathering.

Today we got our last danza of the year in. In preparation for the nemontemi, we grounded ourselves using breathing exercises, songs, danza, and guided meditation. We are now ready for the 5-day journey of self-reflection and healing.

Hoy tuvimos nuestro ultimo ensayo de este ańo 8-Tecpatl. Nos preparamos para el nemontemi con ejercicios de respiración, cantos, danza, y meditación de silencio. Ya estamos listos para los siguientes días de reflexión e sanacion.

In Solidarity ✊🏽

First mitiotiliztli practice of 2021! Today was a beautiful day in Isla Vista and we practiced our opening singing, reviewed and polished the danza of “Apache”, and talked about the upcoming nemontemi fasting. We look forward to coming back Saturday, March 6th at 2pm. Everyone welcome!

Niltze community!
As the last month of winter approaches, Isla Vista Mitiotiliztli will begin meeting for mitiotiliztli practice every other Saturday at 2pm starting Feb.20. Practice will take place at Estero Park in Isla Vista. Whether you are new or experienced to danza, you are welcome to participate. For questions, contact first-spokesperson Compa Xente. 🐚🌬🐾 ☀️ 🌺

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Safety precautions are highly encouraged: six feet apart, respiratory protection, and keeping hands to ourselves.

Our hearts and spirits feel fulfilled! Ohuiya! Ohuiya!

Our mitiotiliztli community had been working for months to keep the tradition of the Maiz ceremony alive in our community, a tradition passed on by our Tata Mauro and maestro Cuauxoch. From planting corn seeds, to driving out of town to invite other danza communities, to facilitating, and to hosting our guests, we all did our best and we were able to execute this honoring of the corn harmoniously and effectively.

We are grateful for all relatives who came to our community; this ceremony truly brought people and knowledge together from the four directions. The last time we did this ceremony was five years ago and this was our first time showering the little ones with freshly ground corn in the metate. What a beautiful experience that was for all of us!

We are humbled to announce that we have chosen Compa Xente [13-Tekpatl] to be spokesperson of our mitiotiliztli community.

Compa Xente stepped into the danza community in 2012 guided by our elders Anita Campion, Benjamin Aparicio, and Don Mauro Sanchez. Since then, he has studied and engaged with philosophies in danza including the Concherismo, Mexicayotl, and Toltecayotl philosophies.

In 2015, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Chicanx Studies from CSU Channel Islands. Since, he has worked with youth and families in our community and is currently earning a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.

Compa Xente has also traveled for the purpose of learning more about our ancestral philosophies to places such as Blythe, Ca., Mexiko Tenochtitlán, and Chicago, Ill. Compa Xente now continues his development with us in Isla Vista, Ca.

We are confident that Compa Xente will speak for our community in a good way when necessary and will continue to guide us towards discovering and polishing our own philosophies so that we may continue to define our own selves as part of the Mitiotiliztli community. Please help us welcome Compa Xente in his role as first-spokesperson of our community ✊🏽 🌽 👣 🐚 🌱 🌺 ☀️

Santa Barbara Danza showing community support at Fillmore’s Vigil for George Floyd and other victims of police violence. Thank you for the invitation.