Where dance is at the center of the world: New Mexican Andrew Garcia draws inner strength from his Pueblo Indian dance traditions, which he teaches and practices - includes etiquette tips on attending Native American dance festivals - Interview

Dance Magazine, Feb, 1997 by Marilyn Hunt

"I always say to the young people, participate in the dances in this community. Don't just say that you're going to dance with my group. You are part of this community. When you're dancing, it makes you feel good. You're dancing not only for yourself but also for people all over the world. You're sending blessings. When you're dancing on Mother Earth, you're getting strength from her and also thanking her for all the things that she provides." Garcia sings and drums regularly at the pueblo, and family members dance.

Garcia is himself going to dance in San Juan Pueblo's annual Turtle Dance that marks the winter solstice, ending one year and commencing the next. This centuries-old dance is one of the Pueblo's most important, with a web of meanings beginning with the turtle's long life. Garcia explains that the songs, in pure Tewa, name a comprehensive honor roll of sacred objects in nature--not only animal species but spiritual beings, such as Evergreen Man and Woman, who provide the branches, indicative of long life, that are essential to pueblo dances. He tells me that the elders have designated one of the purposes of the Turtle Dance this year to be prayers for Bosnia.

The December day is sunny but crisp. The long, shoulder-to-shoulder line of 137 men and boys dance without shirts or leggings, in unison and elegant in their dance kilts and handsome asymmetrical headdresses with two feathers, eagle and macaw. The singing is quiet, low-pitched, and as if from deepest time. The turtle shell tied behind every dancer's right knee produces a low sound like rain. Time seems suspended. The dancers' moccasins caress, rather than beat, the bare earth of the plaza. Each change of rhythm and tempo and each pivot to face another of the four sacred directions suggests import, even to the visitor. The many spectators--mesmerized by the dance, the sounds of the dancers moving, the song, and the sun--follow the dance as it moves from one to another of San Juan's plazas, enfolded by the earthen adobe houses and, beyond them, the protecting mountains. The dance seems truly to be at the center of the world.

Garcia dances with great concentration and dignity, precise and fluid in his movements, shaking the gourd rattle. You can see that he knows the songs perfectly. This looks like dancing as meditation.

I remember that he said, "I still do what I have been given by my grandfather--the knowledge--and I'll hold onto it for whatever it takes. That's me. I guess I'll be singing and teaching dances until the last breath that comes out of me."

RELATED ARTICLE: If You Go to Dances at the Pueblos ...

This is a festive occasion, but just remember to act with the consideration due when attending a religious ceremony and visiting the vicinity of people's homes; this is not a show or a museum. Follow any instructions; inquire whether a camera, sketching, or note taking is allowed; if so, a small feee may be charged. The sun can be brilliant at any time of year, so consider wearing a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Take along your patience as well as your courtesy, and then lose yourself for a while! If a resident should offer you the traditional hospitality of a meal, do accept. For schedules, call the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center at (505) 843-7270; it can also give you phone numbers at the pueblos to confirm information.