When Women Fly
In Cuetzalan del Progreso, a town nestled in the rainforest of the state of Puebla, Mexico women are breaking barriers, through their participation in a prehispanic ritual, which until recently, was only performed by men.
The Danza de los Voladores is an ancient ritual consisting of a ceremonial dance and the climbing of a 30 meter pole. Five participants leap head first from the pole, tied by their waists and revolving to the ground in a death defying display of acrobatics.
Women have been excluded from this flying performance for years, however, in recent times a few have finally joined this practice, breaking the ancient tradition.
Cuetzalan became a very important place to me over the last decade while working on academic and visual projects there. During my time in the region, I witnessed how gender norms and domestic violence are spread in the area and I wanted to use photography to highlight the inspiring stories of these women, who shatter their traditional gender roles, with the aim of creating an equal society.
My project When Women fly celebrates the resilience and the everyday lives of a few flying women, who divide their time between their families, the community, the workplace and the performance.
