Supporting the arts: Woodburn Aztec dance group receives state grant

In a celebration of cultural heritage, Woodburn’s Grupo Ritual Azteca Huitzilopochtli has received a creative boost in the form of a small operations grant from the Oregon Arts Commission.

Small operations grants were awarded to selected organizations with annual budgets of less than $150,000 throughout the state. Ritual Azteca Huitzilopochtli received $2,355 from the grant.

The Aztec dance group practices and operates in Woodburn with the mission of teaching indigenous Aztec culture and traditions through music and dance.

The grant money will help with operations and performances, funding regalia, transportation to events and event spaces, group secretary Susi Shipporeit said.

“It’s very encouraging to receive the grant,” Shipporeit said. “It's encouraging to keep going because it’s definitely a labor of love and there is a lot of heart that goes into it. They work hard to pay it back, and it’s definitely good for the community.”

The group's name, "Huitzilopochtli," is a word from the Nahuatl language, the original dialect of the Aztec people. Nearly a million people in Mexico still speak this dialect. The group dances according to the inherited tradition of General Rosendo Plascencia Quintero, a revered elder in the Aztec cultural community.

Huitzilopochtli is a nonprofit run by six volunteer directors. Captain Jose Carlos runs the dance group and teaches Aztec language, dance and music in the community.

Most of the group participants are from Woodburn, with others traveling from Gervais, Mount Angel, Stayton and Silverton to dance with Huitzilopochtli. While the program is open to people of all backgrounds, the majority are from Mexican migrant or low-income families.

In 2024, the group held 28 Aztec Dance Circles meetings throughout Oregon and Washington, which are free of charge and open to anyone interested in joining. The group also travels throughout the state to participate in cultural ceremonies and dance presentations to the public.