"He was our guardian angel, an Aztec warrior of love,"
"He was the heartbeat of our community with his danza. He brought medicine."
"This dance, this tradition has been passed down from oral tradition from generation to generation. We've respected it,"
"For us, dancing is our way of praying. Our way of connecting to our elders."
Ricardo "El Tigre" Peña, 54, died Monday morning from an apparent heart attack. He was a Nahuatl Indigenous danzante and drummer, teacher, business owner, father, husband, and uncle who maintained deep pride in his culture and roots. Peña and his wife Connie Rivera ran Mixcoalt, a Mexican gift shop at 24th Street and South Van Ness Avenue, for 21 years and performed with their troop Danza Azteca at Carnaval and community events for more than 30 years. Peña emphasized that the dance is an oral tradition, a form of prayer, and a way to connect to elders. He performed neighborhood rituals and was a familiar, warm presence in the Mission District.
Read at Mission Local
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