What do the 52 total turns in the danza de los voladores symbolize?

In the danza de los voladores (dance of the fliers), the four dancers traditionally make 13 revolutions each as they descend, resulting in a combined total of 52 revolutions.1

In the Nahuatl belief system of the Aztec and Toltec peoples, this number represents the "year-binding," or xiuhmolpilli—a 52-year cycle that was fundamental to their calendar system. At the conclusion of this 52-year period, the Aztecs performed elaborate ceremonies to mark the completion of the cycle and to avert the destruction of the world, which they believed could occur at the end of such a timeframe.123