Danza de la Pluma (Feather Dance)

Teotitlan del Valle has several annual fiestas propias (celebrations that are their own). Today, we attended the Fiesta for Saint Rosaria.

No one I asked could tell me what time the fiesta was supposed to start, so we arrived early and were able to catch the parade of the musicians, dancers, and some of the townspeople as they came to prepare for the celebration.

A man sitting with us said the fiesta was scheduled to start around four, but we could watch the rehearsals and preparations. We could tell by the costumes (children in military uniforms, waving Spanish flags and plume dancers in their Zapotec dress) that we were seeing some sort of a reenactment. There was also a man in a black mask; he is a spirit that protects the Zapotec soldiers/dancers.

This reenactment demonstrates how the Zapotecs united with the Spaniards to defeat the Aztecs from Tenochtitlan.

As a slight breeze picked up, we could see that the headdresses the men wear are not only ornate and large, but they are also quite heavy. One had to hold on to the plumes as he continued spiraling around the others.

As we were heading out, just after six, the party was starting to pick up speed. After inventorying the fruit, beer, and refrescos (soft drinks), some of the elders broke out the mezcal and began pouring. The rain must’ve sensed this and joined in. We headed to the highway in a light rain in the back of the little blue truck just in time to catch a bus home.

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