"When Women Fly," is a long term project about a group of indigenous women from Cuetzalan del Progreso, Mexico, breaking barriers by participating in a traditionally male ritual called Danza de los Voladores.

The prehispanic ritual begins with a ceremonial dance. 5 participants then ascend a 30-metre pole and jump off the top, head first, tied to ropes as they revolve around the pole towards the ground.

Cuetzalan del Progreso sits amid mountains, forests and waterfalls. The area has a large indigenous population, of Nahua and Totonac heritage. The dance was originally performed as a way to encourage a good harvest. The falling flyers metaphorically represent corn seeds. When they reach the ground, they fertilise the soil. Nowadays the flying ritual is performed mainly during religious events.

Traditionally, only men were allowed to partake in the ritual. However, a few women in Cuetzalan have recently joined the practice. The flying women defy traditional gender roles, symbolising transformation within their social context.

I am a documentary photographer and anthropologist and I’ve worked on collaborative research and visual projects in Cuetzalan since 2013.

I started working on When Women Fly 2 years ago and so far the project has been well received in publications and exhibitions. My plan is to expand the narrative of this story and show aspects that haven’t been explored yet as I’d love one day to turn the project into a book.

With my work, I hope to celebrate the daily lives of these women and show their balance between being mothers, sisters, daughters, workers but also proud voladoras.