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Forging Aztecness, Danza Azteca history with Kristina Nielsen

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Kristina Nielsen to discuss the history of the Danza Azteca and Mexikayotl traditions!

About our guest:

Kristina Nielsen received her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2017. Her research focuses on how music and dance in Aztec revitalization movements shape community histories and identities. Nielsen’s research is highly interdisciplinary and draws on ethnographic research methods, anthropology and area studies, particularly Indigenous and Latin American studies. Her current project examines Indigenous agency in the Mexican Folkloric Ballet’s staging of the Indigenous past. She is also in the process of writing a book that explores how Aztec dancers in Los Angeles navigate tradition, histories, and identities through music and dance.

You can follow Dr. Nielsen's and other music scholars' work here: @music_textbook

Your Hosts:

Kurly Tlapoyawa is an  archaeologist, ethnohistorian, and filmmaker. His  research covers  Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the  historical connections  between the two regions. He is the author of  numerous books and has  presented lectures at the University of New  Mexico, Harvard University,  Yale University, San Diego State University, and numerous others. He is also a cultural consultant for Nickelodeon Animation Studios. His recent projects include the  documentary short film "Guardians of the  Purple Kingdom," and "The Casagrandes Movie" on Netflix. @kurlytlapoyawa

Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl is a scholar, activist, and professor of history. His research explores Chicana/Chicano indigeneity, indigenist nationalism, and Coahuiltecan revitalization. Other areas of research include Aztlan (US Southwest), Anawak (Mesoamerica), and Native North America. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Mexicolore, and several academic journals. He frequently presents at historical conferences and has taught courses at numerous colleges & universities. He currently teaches history at Dallas College – Mountain View Campus.   

Cited in this episode:

Kristina F. Nielsen, “Forging Aztecness: Twentieth-Century Mexican Musical Nationalism in Twenty-First Century Los Angeles,” Yearbook for Traditional Music 52 (2020): 127–46, https://doi.org/10.1017/ytm.2020.18.

Kristina F. Nielsen, “Composing Histories: The Transmission and Creation of Historicity, Music and Dance in the Los Angeles Danza Community” (PhD Diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 2017).

Kristina F. Nielsen, “The Role of Interpretation in Determining Continuity in Danza Azteca History,” Ethnomusicology Review, May 17, 2014, https://ethnomusicologyreview.ucla.edu/content/role-interpretation-determining-continuity-danza-azteca-history. 

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Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)