History:

The members of OLLIN YOLIZTLI CALMECAC (OYC) are migrants and immigrants from various parts of Mexico. Some are new in the U.S.A. and some have been here many years. The group was founded by Daniel Chico Lorenzo and Brujo de la Mancha in 2003. Daniel has extensive knowledge of ancient Mexican culture and languages. His first language was Nahuatl, an indigenous language that the Spanish tried to eliminate. Brujo de la Mancha is a multidisciplinary artist  self-taught artist. Who did help Daniel in the process of creating and representing OYC. Brujo did learned some of the traditional Aztec dance and drumming from Daniel. Since Daniel when back to his home town in Dec 2006. Brujo did under took the responsibility of OYC and create the Master Artist in Residence Programs (MARP) for to Sharp the OYC mission.   

Founders:                                Daniel Chico Lorenzo.                               Brujo de la Mancha.

Vice President.

A native of San Mateo Ozolco, Puebla, Mexico. Daniel grew up learning his “maternal” ancient language of Nahuatl, as well as a little of the Spanish that is now most predominant in Mexico. In 1985, Daniel moved from Puebla to Mexico City, where he became aware of the fact that his home town is known as a cultural center that appears in books of Mexican history. This new discovery about his roots prompted Daniel to take a course on ancient Mexican hieroglyphics at the Simon Bolivar cultural center. Daniel also took more courses on Nauhatl in the Casa Tlaxcala, a cultural center that is located in the center of Mexico City. Daniel was invited by a friend he make in the Casa Tlaxcala to learn Aztec Dance. Daniel then spent 8 years learning the dance and  drumming. Daniel continued his studies over the years before his move to Philadelphia in 2002. Daniel when back to his home town in Dec 2006.  Daniel was the heart of the dance group, he's work to preserve a culture that is part of him self, Make Ollin Yoliztli Calmecac.

Artistic & Executive Director:
Brujo de la Mancha

Brujo was born in Mexico City, but his Grandmother was a native of the small town of Xico, in the mountains of the state of Veracruz. Every year Brujo would travel to Xico for family visits, including trips to the surrounding area. In Xico, Brujo learned about the activities and the lives of the indigenous people. Brujo observed the style of farming, as well as the arts, music, and the culture of the area. This is an are made up of a mixture of influences from the Olmec, Maya, and Catholic traditions. At sixteen years old, Brujo left Mexico City to travel to different places in order to immerse himself in the indigenous cultures of the people of Oxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, Michoacan, and Tlaxcala. As well as a dancer, Brujo is a visual artist working in painting, sculpting, photography, and puppetry. Brujo also teaches art classes to children in after school programs, as well water colors for people with Alzheimer’s Disease and clay to older adults. Brujo met Daniel at the Immigrant Worker’s Freedom Ride in September, 2003. Since then, Brujo and Daniel did  talk regularly and sharing ideas for the dance and the Mexican community. Brujo has made some of the instruments for the dance group. He has also done a large portion of the choreography with Daniel & other Masters. Brujo has additionally been responsible for OYC incorporation and organization of the group for their performances and programs. In performances, he introduces the group and talks about the mission of OYC and the history of the Mexica people. In 2005, he won a "Arts Management Internship" with the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, where he participated in a six month observation of Pennsylvania's funding of nonprofit arts organizations, including the Institute for Cultural Partnership, Mt. Pleasant Hispanic American Center in Harrisburg, and Philadelphia Folklore Project. He also has a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the The Nonprofit Center at the La Salle University in Philadelphia, through the Hispanic Leadership Development Program. Also, he has a certificate of Strategic Planning for arts-oriented, nonprofit organizations from Amherst University of Massachusetts through the Arts Extension Services ., as he is one of the group members who is comfortable using his English language skills.

Now in 2009, OYC has made a great evolution and all members have done the best possible to present the traditional arts forms of dance and music. We also offer weekly clay workshops to reach a more diverse community, by offering at the Mann Adult Older Center, where we offered two hours of clay classes every Thursday. The company has pursued cultural exchange with it's artist in residence program, bringing three masters to Philadelphia from across the country and one of them to DC to perform in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts & The National Library of Congress on June 17-18-2009.  

Since 2004, we have made a big impact as an organization. We have been able to guide people that look for information about Mexico or Aztec culture to our website, where there's information that is full of facts and realties. I, as co-founder of OYC, did a field trip last winter 08-09 to the west coast to look for new masters and networking from Seattle, Washington to Monterey, California, as a part of the (OYC) Master Artist in Residence Program (MARP) in order to sharpen (OYC) mission and the results of these trips are the possibilities to take (OYC) to National and Transnational level.  

The Artist and Executive Director, Brujo de la Mancha has persued cultural exchange with it's artist in residence program, bringing three masters to Philadelphia from across the country. Our services are Presentations on Aztec dance and music, Public talks about our “Mission” . This services are requested by museums, universities, colleges, public schools, senior centers, communities centers, and the Philadelphia communities.  

Also In 2009 the new position of "Program Director" is created to assist an facilited help for these transition) and with the development plans of (OYC).  

Alejandra Bergemann.
Programming Co-ordinator
 
Alejandra is a danzante, community organizer and activist from Mexico City. When she was about 10 years old, Alejandra's family moved to San Antonio, Texas, so she grew up in a bilingual and bicultural home, traveling back and forth between Texas and Mexico, spending a lot of time in her mother's community in Rio Hondo, Estado de Mexico. Through that migration, Alejandra gained the skills and knowledge that have enabled her to navigate and act as a bridge between cultures, on a multiplicity of levels.

Always feeling that innate connection to her indigenous roots and seeking to have a deeper knowledge of history and how different forces have shaped the lives of Native Peoples today, Alejandra majored in Anthropology and International Studies at Trinity University. There, her quest to find tangible ways in which to effect positive change in society was strengthened and she became involved in community and youth organizing. Through her work at Fuerza Unida, where she was Director of Programs, she gained further experience in grassroots organizing, using popular education tools and methodologies to build collective knowledge around economic and environmental justice issues, and looking at how these impact women and communities of color in particular. Alejandra was also part of the Coordinating Committee of the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ), an alliance of grassroots organizations based in the United States, and the she was on the organizing committee of the 2006 Border Social Forum in Cuidad Ju·rez, MÈxico. Since then, she has participated actively in the Social Forum process, at the World Social Forum in Kenya in 2007, as well as other international forums where she has worked to bring voice to the women's and indigenous people's organizing and struggles. Alejandra is also part of Grupo Teokalli, a Danza Azteca-Chichimeca group that traces its lineage back to a well-known and respected family that has been practicing these traditional ways for generations.

Artistic success: 

(OYC) is the first organized groups within the Mexican immigrant community in Philadelphia. Where our mission has been working towards our expections- to educate both Mexicans and non-Mexicans about indigenous Mexica culture. (OYC) has been the inspiration of some floklore groups in PA. Were this groups adapt some ideas and dances of (OYC). In Phialdelphia and New Jercy (OYC) did open many doors for many Mexicans now it is 3 grups each one work in the on Barrios, also in 2004 (OYC) did organized the first festival in south Phialdelphia, on 11th and Washington on 8-13-09 since that time we have festivals, celebrations, and many more activities for and by the Mexican Community. 

OYC defines its artistic success by reaching Mexican newcomers living in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. We fulfill our goal of informing the public about native cultures as well as teaching the traditional cultural dances, music and heritage to other Mexicans and Native American indigenous descents. OYC is one of the first organized groups within the Mexican immigrant community in Philadelphia. This organization has been an example to other “Callpulis” (Aztec Traditinal Groups in Mexico, USA, Canada and Europe) who wish to become afilliated under the umbrella of OYC. Immigrant communities can be difficult and fractured and OYC is proud to be an organization that has brought groups together to look at their own past with pride and to view their own community as a whole. Some people refuse to take pride in their own heritage. We hope to be able to continue to dance and perform for the community in such a way that it will help members of the Mexican community see themselves differently and with greater pride. We succeed on another level when we create events that unite the communities and teach about the roots of the Americas. This helps the communities to aclimate to their new city and reach out to other cities for a cultural exchange. In this way we have been able to reach a more diverse audience.

OUTCOMES:
OYC's current plan involves organizational and structural improvements such as expanding our networking projects, and developing Master Artist workshops and residencies. This year have added the component of music that we create using handmade instruments.

We Have a new Board of Directors, and solidifying the direction that the group will take. OYC is in the process of recording a CD and is going to be on “Chanel 6 for the Puertorrican Panoram Show” in April 2008 - June 2009. We want to create a network with other organizations so we can offer internships, gatherings, and conferences in order to take OYC to the national and international level as an organization that is perserving the tradition of this ancient culture.

 Some of the anticipated outcomes of the proposed project include:

A- Improving (OYC) quality of presentations.
B- The stablisment of the Aztec culture in the community of Philadelphia and given an oportunity to others to revive ther own pride.
C- Expanding the number of educational sessions from 10 to 20 workshops per year;
D- Improving the Board's capacity to raise funds and increase OYC's annual operating budget from $20,000 to $50,000 per year;
E- Creating and approving a Strategic Plan for FY2010-2013  

Long-Range Arts Plans:
In the face of political repression and rising racist violence and xenophobia, we wish Philadelphia to be known as a center for native american indigenous arts and culture, which celebrates native Mexican heritage and history and preserves sacred and artistic traditions. Too often, children learn about indigenous people in history books, as though native populations only existed in the past or in reservations. We aim to make our communities and the wider Philadelphia community aware of the relevance and importance in the everyday lives of native traditions such as clay sculpture, the creation and playing of musical instruments, mask-making and costuming, the Nahuatl language, Aztec Dance, and ceremonial rituals. We aim to make Philadelphia's community proud of its native roots.

We are working on one special project, to take (OYC) to the national and a international level to make a set of tours to fullfill the mission of our great Mexica ancestors, that is to live in union with nature and each other, with messages of "Unity, Peace and Respect to all." On these tours, we want to take a few Masters of this tradition and skilled dancers.  

Also we are working in a new program called Digital History enhances history teaching and research through primary sources, an online textbook, extensive reference resources, and interactive ...this it will take OYC transnational ..

Former Dancers and less frequent contributors:

Former Dancers 2006-2009

Ruben del Rosario. (since 2006)
A native of San Mateo Ozolco, Puebla, Mexico. Ruben grew up learning his “maternal” ancient language of Nahuatl, as well as a little of the Spanish that is now most predominant in Mexico. he move to Philadelphia several years ago.This new place make him to dance and prompted Ruben to be more into his ancient Mexican cultureroots.

Jose Luis Morales. (since 2006)
A native, Puebla, Mexico. He grew up learning his “maternal”, Spanish that is now most predominant in Mexico as well as a little of the ancient language of Nahuatl. He move to Philadelphia and New Jercy several years ago. This new live make him to dance and prompted to others his ancient Mexican cultureroots.

Edgar Adrian Alcantara Plata. (since 2007)
Born in Mexico city in the barrio de Iztacalco he learn to work as young age with He’s parents because he’s family is in small business of woman's beauty supplies. All family members are from mex. city . He finish junior and high school as well (vocacional) . As well he just to live in Nezahualcoyotl Edo. de mex. He always like alternative/ rock - Music, now he live in Philadelphia he have to children's.

Former Dancers 2005-2006
Fabian Martines.

Former Dancers 2005-2006
Roberto Vargas Guzman and Family:
Born in Azcapotzalco Mexico City: Roberto has been always into the Aztec dance because he was also born in the big city of Mexico were all people from the city we are expose to the rich expender of cultural heritage. Roberto was amassing by the work of OLLIN YOLIZTLI CALMECAC in the day of the dead celebration he just was running his bike and he saw the display of the ofrenda and them hejust wanted to be part of the dance group.

Maria Areli Juarez Salazar:[31 years old]
Lili was born in Mexico City, but her parents were born in Penjamo y Cueramaro Michoacan, in the state of Guanajuato. Lili started dancing after her husband, Roberto began to dance 2 years ago, Lili thinks it is very important for her son, born in Philadelphia.

Roberto Vargas Juarez: [5 year old]
Robert dance with both his mother and his father.

Kevin Trejo Hernandez: [6 years old] and Jiovany Trejo Hernandez [5 years old]
Since both Kevin and Jiovany were born in Philadelphia, they don’t have the same connection to Mexico that their parent does. But their parents want that the two boys understand who they are and were they come from.

Jose Manuel Jimenez: Hernandez [11 years old]
Jose was born in Santiago, in the state of Puebla, his parents are from san Mateo Ozolco, Puebla,. Jose Great Grandfather also took part in the rituals of the Aztec Dance by participating in the traditional Aztec gathering at POPOCATEPETL ( Smoky Hill) volcano.

Former Dancers 2003-2004
Francisco Garcia Gorgua:
Born in San Lucas El Grande, Puebla, Mexico. Francisco met Daniel in Philadelphia. Francisco was interested in knowing more about of the ancient cultures of Mexico, as well the Aztec Dance. He is also interested in painting, and has displayed his art during some Aztec dance events. Francisco has been with the dance group since the beginning.

Lucino Omar:
Born in Veracruz, Mexico. Lucino came to the group out of a curiosity about Mexican culture. He was a friend of Francisco, and first came to see Francisco dance. After watching for a time he decided to join the group. Lucino has been a principal dancer and is a part of the main circle that is integral to the dance.

Marta Berenice Robles:

Born in Tehoethiuacan Mexico. At 11 years old, Berenice is the youngest in the group. This little girl joined the dance group after she saw the group perform at one of our ceremonies in Philadelphia. She liked the Aztec dance because she loves Mexico and Mexican culture. Since Berenice joined the group, her entire family has begun to participate in some aspect of the dance. Her father has also now joined the dance group, as will be a part of the main dance group soon.

Maria de la Luz:
Born in Mexico City, Maria is the mother of three children: one boy and two girls. Maria brings her children to the dance with her in order to keep the traditions alive. For Maria the group is an important contribution to her children’s education about Mexican Culture.

Jessika Diaz:
A folklore dancer by profession, Jessika has developed a great interest in Aztec dance, as well. Jessika is a native of Mexico City who now lives in the Harrisburg area. She participates in the dance whenever possible.

Emmy Breton. Nicole Alexander.
Cesar Viveros. Cesar Ramos Pantoja.