In sweltering heat that made his face glisten beneath a large sombrero embroidered in gold, 9-year-old Marco Hernandez performed a ceremonial dance used by Aztecs to give thanks each year for the sun, the moon and the universe, and their connection to them.
His sister, Adriana, 6, also performed a traditional Mexican dance in the children’s area at Saturday’s Fiesta Hispana in Warner Park, along with other girls wearing brightly colored dresses with long, full skirts that fanned out when held up at their sides with outstretched arms.
“I feel very proud of them to show our culture,” said their father, Martin Hernandez, who plans to return to his native Mexico with his family after completing a Ph.D at UW-Madison.