mitote

dance

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The mitote is a secular round dance with ancient and modern roots, practiced by the Aztecs and other tribes in Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental. The word "mitote" originates from the Nahuatl word mitotiqui, meaning dancer.1

This circular dance is the ritualistic practice of the southern Tepehuan and other tribes in the Sierra Madre Occidental, including the Tepecano, Huichol, and Cora. In the mitote, men and women dance in a counterclockwise circle, completing five circuits in one direction and then five in the other. A shaman accompanies the dance with traditional songs, often with the aid of a musical bow and gourd resonator. Historically, a deer dance would follow the rounds of the mitote.2

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Latin American dance
Ritual contexts
…the entertainments became known as mitotes (from the Nahuatl mitotia, “to make dances”). Mitotes drew upon both Spanish dramatic action, which featured lengthy sections of dialogue, and the Aztec and Chichimec Indian tradition of using divided bands of enemies to represent the central theme of battle.
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…the entertainments became known as mitotes (from the Nahuatl mitotia, “to make dances”). Mitotes drew upon both Spanish dramatic action, which featured lengthy sections of dialogue, and the Aztec and Chichimec Indian tradition of using divided bands of enemies to represent the central theme of battle.
Read More

Native American dance
Mexico and Mesoamerica
The circular mitote remains the ritual dance of the southern Tepehuan and other tribes of the Sierra Madre Occidental, such as the Tepecano and the Huichol and Cora. Men and women skip in a counterclockwise circle, five circuits in one direction, then five in the other. A…
Read More
The circular mitote remains the ritual dance of the southern Tepehuan and other tribes of the Sierra Madre Occidental, such as the Tepecano and the Huichol and Cora. Men and women skip in a counterclockwise circle, five circuits in one direction, then five in the other. A…
Read More