Indigenous cultures the world over perform rituals to please the gods and ask for blessings. While the majority of these rituals take place on terra firma, the Danza de los Voladores (Dance of the Flyers) is a bit different. The ritual, which is said to have been created to ask the gods to end a drought, originated during the pre-Hispanic period in the Veracruz region of Mexico and is most associated with the town of Papantla.
Five men dressed in bright costumes and festive hats partake in the ritual. They begin by walking in a circle around a 30-meter-tall pole, incorporating choreographed dance steps. Then they climb the pole and arrange themselves with one man in the center, who plays the carrizo flute and a tamborcillo, and the other four men balanced on the sides of a square frame that turns. The music player remains at the top of the pole, playing as the four men (who each have a rope tied to one foot) pitch backwards off the frame and swing out into the air. With each turn of the frame, the flyers’ ropes release one loop, gradually lowering the men to the ground. While the men make their flight, they strike a variety of poses in unison. The total effect is entrancing, and this ritual has been recognized by UNESCO in hopes of preserving it.
Watch the flyers perform this ritual:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCiXU9ea9UI?fs=1]