Rabinal Achi, Danse Drama

　　Since colonization in the 16th century, the Rabinal Achí dance has been performed on Saint Paul's day on January 25. The festival is coordinated by members of cofradías, local brotherhoods responsible for running the community. By taking part in the dance, the living enters into "contact" with the dead, the rajawales, ancestors represented by masks. For the Achis of modern-day Rabinal, recalling their ancestors is not just about perpetuating the heritage of the past. It is also a vision of the future, since one day the living will join their ancestors.

　　The impact of armed conflict especially in the departments of Rabinal and K'iche has almost led to the disappearance of this dance. Today, it is threatened by the precarious economic state of the custodians and of the community as a whole, the lack of a coherent safeguarding policy and the migration of young people to urban centres and abroad. The Rabinal Achí is also confronted by folklorization and trivialization, which seriously threatens the transmission of Mayan know-how and values.