Introduction -- On the Areíto : Discovering dance in the New World -- Unfaithful imitation : Friar Toribio de Benavente "Motolinía" and the "Counterfeit" histories of dance -- The sacrifices of representation : Dance in the writings of Friar Bernardino de Sahagún -- Dances of death : The massacre at the Festival of Toxcatl -- The mystery of movement : Dancing in Colonial New Spain -- Conclusion
Summary
Analyzing the extensive accounts of Aztec dance practices in colonial-era European chronicles, histories, letters, and travel books, this volume reveals the surprising and crucial role that dance played in the European conquest and colonization of the Americas
