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November 2, 2025
Photos by Scott Umstattd
My name is Alma Minerva Galvan Vargas. I am twenty-five years old. I have been a dancer for thirteen years.
My first connection with dance was as a child, when it began to catch my attention. I started getting involved by going to watch the processions of the dances performed in my town. The first dance group I joined was the Dance of the Guadalupan Indians, and from there I began to dance. When I did it, I felt liberated, happy, and completely fulfilled. Over time, and with more performances, I began to do it out of gratitude to God, since it is a religious act. I began to enjoy it because I felt I was helping preserve a tradition that goes back many years.
Currently, I dance in a family group called the Nomadic Indians of the Holy Cross of Miracles. The passion, love, and faith with which I do it grow stronger every day. It has influenced my daily life, and whenever I dance, I do so in gratitude, reaffirming how thankful I am to God for what He has done for me.
As a woman, I feel very proud to have the opportunity to participate in the patron saint festivals of my town and in other celebrations.
This art of dance is important to me because it has given me the opportunity to meet many wonderful people, to see new places, and to meet people who still admire this beautiful tradition. It has allowed me to discover many things about myself that I didn't know before.
I feel very fortunate to be one of the people who continue to keep this beautiful tradition alive. I am happy and proud of the countless photos that have been taken of me in my different costumes. They make me feel the love, dedication, and passion I put into creating my outfits, and that, when I dance, they are valued and appreciated.
I would love for more generations to continue this tradition. I am the mother of a daughter, and I would like her to carry on this tradition with the same love and passion that I have.
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Alma Galvan dances with la Danza de Indios Nómadas de la Santa Cruz de los Milagros of San Miguel de Allende.
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Scott Umstattd is a fine art photographer and visual storyteller based in San Miguel de Allende. For the past decade, he has focused on photographing indigenous dancers. Now, he moves with them to pursue his artistic vision and draw attention to their traditions and voices. Working in tandem with dancers, he leads San Miguel Photography Adventures, offering immersive photography experiences that celebrate their culture.
You can see more on his website
www.scott-pix.com/
And you can follow San Miguel Photography Adventures on Facebook and Instagram.
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