近距离内射合集

Each fall, Helene Luna dons a fiery red outfit and ascends the steps at Santa Fe鈥檚 Fort Marcy Park, a pair of blazing torches in her hands. Towering above her is the 50-foot marionette known as Zozobra, who embodies the collective gloom, anxiety and hardships of the previous year. Luna, as the Fire Spirit, taunts Zozobra with a mesmerizing dance before setting Old Man Gloom ablaze.

The 102nd Burning of Zozobra, which will take place on Friday, Sept. 4, marks Luna鈥檚 30th and final time dancing at the festival. She began in 1996 as the Gloom Queen before officially transitioning into the venerated role of Fire Spirit in 2007.

鈥淚 know I鈥檓 going to miss it terribly, but I just feel very proud of what I鈥檝e done,鈥� Luna said. 鈥淎nd also, it was my choice. I just thought, you know, I still feel very blessed to be able to take ballet class, to be able to run, to be able to do this (Fire Spirit dance) and climb a lot of stairs. I feel physically really good. But it鈥檚 just that moment when you鈥檙e like 鈥� if you want Zozobra to burn another 100 years, you have to pass it on to the next generation.鈥�

Jacques Cartier, a former New York City ballet dancer, originated the Fire Spirit role and performed it for 37 years. Then, in 1970, he passed it on to his prot茅g茅, James 鈥淐hip鈥� Lilienthal, who performed the role for over 30 years. When a heart condition forced Lilienthal to step away from the role in the early 2000s, his daughters Doenika and Katy Lilienthal stepped in to keep the tradition alive before the mantle was officially passed to Luna.

鈥淚 think the reason why I held on for so long is because both Chip and Jacques had danced for over 30 years. So, I thought if I could make it to 30 years, that would be wonderful,鈥� Luna said. 鈥淧lus, I turned 60 last year, and I thought that would be a good time to pass it on for the next generation.鈥�

During the centennial Burning of Zozobra in 2024, it was announced that Luna鈥檚 successor would be Than Povi Martinez (San Ildefonso Pueblo), who will make history next year as the first Indigenous woman to hold the prestigious title.

鈥淪he鈥檚 an incredible dancer. She鈥檚 passionate. She鈥檚 going to bring so much energy and new passion to the role,鈥� Luna said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 in good hands, and I look forward to being an audience member and watching her dance.鈥�

Martinez has been shadowing Luna to learn the role, and last year she danced as the Gloom Queen, just as Luna had done before.

鈥淚t was great to be able to mentor her. 鈥� Chip Lilienthal did that for me, so I鈥檓 happy to pass it on,鈥� Luna said.

The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe鈥檚 Ray Sandoval has served as Zozobra鈥檚 event chair since 2013. He said Luna鈥檚 final dance will be bittersweet.

鈥淥nce Zozobra drops, there will be a presentation for Helene to go up and take her last bow, say thank you to the City of Santa Fe for the 30 years, and then literally pass the torch to Povi Martinez. 鈥� I think that鈥檚 going to be a very, very special moment,鈥� Sandoval said. 鈥淚 know for me, working with Helene all these years, it鈥檚 going to be bittersweet. I work really closely with the Fire Spirit because 鈥� it is a dangerous role. So, we work hand in hand and really communicate that evening to make sure she stays safe. So, it鈥檒l be bittersweet for us to see her pass the torch. But at the same time, it speaks to the longevity of our traditions here in Santa Fe that we have different people who step up and take over these roles.鈥�

In honor of the U.S. semiquincentennial, the Kiwanis Club has given this year鈥檚 Zozobra an American Revolution twist. The official theme is 鈥淭he Tyranny of Gloom vs. The Spirit of 鈥�76,鈥� and Zozobra鈥檚 outfit will be modeled after King George III.

Sandoval said the theme created some practical challenges.

鈥淗ow do you make a powdered wig for an 11-foot head? We had to bring in folks that actually had to engineer this,鈥� Sandoval said.

Zozobra will hold a scepter and will wear a royal medallion with a Latin phrase meaning 鈥淜ing of Darkness鈥� inscribed on it, along with a bejeweled crown.

鈥淭o make jewels and a crown that fits an 11-foot head was a lot of fun. A lot of work. A lot of stopping and starting and experimenting. There鈥檚 no blueprint to make a crown for Zozobra. There鈥檚 no blueprint to do any of those things,鈥� Sandoval said.

As in previous years, festival attendees are encouraged to dress in costumes related to the theme. This year, Sandoval said, there has been some pushback from those who interpret dressing in colonial-era clothes as glorifying colonialism. Sandoval said he has 鈥渄eep respect for the place that they鈥檙e coming from,鈥� but he also wants the public to know they are free to engage with the festival and its themes in whatever way they choose.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e asking them to do is to dress up in a way that they feel is appropriate. So, that doesn鈥檛 have to be New England 1776,鈥� Sandoval said. 鈥淥ur Native brothers and sisters have amazing outfits, and if they want to dress up in what they were wearing in 鈥� this was New Spain at the time, in 1776 鈥� we definitely encourage that they do. 鈥� We want them to dress in a way that represents who they are, their culture, their history, their experience. So, if that means you鈥檙e coming to Zozobra in your jeans and white T-shirt, and that鈥檚 dressed up for you, that鈥檚 great, too.鈥�

Sandoval said the festival has long celebrated the state鈥檚 cultural diversity.

鈥淲e have such a beautiful and vibrant community in New Mexico,鈥� he said. 鈥溾�� This gives us an opportunity to celebrate as a community the things that bind us together as human beings. 鈥� We all have gloom that we want to give away. But, at the same time, it celebrates our diversity and our differences and the fact that we鈥檙e all still here. There鈥檚 a lot of history, not all of it good, but the fact is, we learned how to live together, and we鈥檙e all here.鈥�

This year, the national anthem will be sung by the New Mexico Gay Men鈥檚 Chorus, who received a perfect score from all seven judges, beating out 30 other hopefuls. It is the first time the anthem will be sung by a group, rather than an individual, which Sandoval thinks is particularly appropriate for the American Revolution theme.

鈥淭hink about the groups that needed to come together. 鈥� Of course, you have your heroes like George Washington and Paul Revere and Benjamin Franklin, but it was groups of people coming together to do something,鈥� Sandoval said. 鈥淪o, it just feels like the right choice.鈥�

As Luna reflected on her years as the Fire Spirit, she said it鈥檚 felt meaningful to be part of an unbroken tradition. Her most memorable year, she said, was 2020, when Zozobra almost didn鈥檛 happen due to COVID-19.

鈥淢y fellow Kiwanians were the Gloomies, they were the torchbearers, we built Zozobra and we did the show. It went out. We livestreamed it. It was televised,鈥� Luna said. 鈥淏ut to dance in front of 鈥� I think there were only eight or 10 people out in that audience 鈥� that was an experience where we just came together as a club, and we did it. So, that was incredible.鈥�

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the 近距离内射合集. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at .