Colorado Aztec Dance Community Commemorates Raúl Chávez Portillo

*Raúl Chávez Portillo* **(Photo courtesy Renee Fajardo**

Grupo Huitzilopochtli will commemorate the life of renowned Mexica dance icon and curandero, Raúl Chávez with a tribute on Sunday, May 7^th, Noon-4pm, at Crown Hill Cemetery (7777 W. 29th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO 80215). His commemoration services are open to the public.

The event marks the one-year anniversary of Chávez’s untimely death last May 7^th, 2022, which left the entire Colorado Aztec Dance community in mourning.

Chávez was born on February 29, 1952 in Mazatlán, México into a family of Mexica Aztec danzantes and healers. He was given the name of Tlaloc at the age of five by his grandfather, in order to preserve the traditions of his ancestors. He spent his formative years studying and perfecting his knowledge and skills.

In 1969, Chávez immigrated to Colorado and in 1981, helped local Chicano youth establish their own danzante group, under his family name of Grupo Tlaloc, he remained with them for a decade. In 1992, he formed a small family dance group under the name of Huitzilopochtli.

Huitzilopochtli’s circle is currently made up of dancers from México and Colorado, along with their families, and those that have been guided to this path. Every year Grupo Huitzilopochtli donates hundreds of volunteer hours to neighborhoods, churches, food banks and nonprofits. Chávez helped communities from Topeka, Kansas to Breckenridge, Colorado to Metropolitan State University of Denver to Denver Santa Fe Arts District and statewide, start their own Dia de Los Muertos celebrations before the holiday was popular. He believed this holiday was a means to connect all people to their common humanity.

Chávez also was a yearly participant for 25 years at the free Aurora Fox Theater Cultural Concerts series, where made his last performance on May 4^th, 2022.

Chávez guided Grupo Huitzilopochtli on a journey to enrich the lives of thousands of Mexican/Chicano youth and their families, as they struggled to connect to their cultural roots. Chávez always maintained an open-door policy, welcoming all who wished to join his troupe, regardless of their ancestry. He recognized the Indigenous heritage of all people and he embraced diversity while striving to instill community stewardship and tolerance.

In 2013, Chávez was awarded the César Chávez Peace and Justice Committee of Denver, Male Leadership award. In 2016, the Denver’s Mayors Awards for Excellence in the Arts honored Chávez’s’ group Huitzilopochtli with the 2016 Arts & Culture Impact Award Prior to Chávez’s death, he relocated his dance troupe to Lakewood United Methodist Church in the 40 West Arts Dist, where his daughter María Chávez continues his legacy as the group’s Capitana.

A Go Fund Me has been established to help raise funds for a grave marker for Raúl Chávez Portillo.