Andres poses for photo in Papantla, Mexico, Oct. 22, 2009. Andres is 12 years old and lives in Papantla in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The way from Andres's home to school is quite a hard journey, which is full of frustrations. His teacher told the journalist that Andres is a very tough-minded person and cooperative child. Andres owns a very special skill that is the "Voladores" ('flying men'). The Dance of the Voladores is a Mexican tradition that for some ancient indigenous cultures, such as the Olmeca and Totonaca, was a sacred ritual with great astronomical and religious significance. The dance consists in five people - representing the five elements of the indigenous world - four who descend from a pole tied to ropes while the fifth stays atop playing the flute. Each rope unwraps itself 13 times, to mark the 52 weeks of the year. The UNESCO declared the "Voladores" as a world Intangible Cultural Treasure on September 2009. Andres is a crackajack in performing "Voladores". He believes that inheriting this ritual ceremony is a very good way to boost the tourism industry and also a way to realize his dream of flying.(Xinhua/Bao Feifei)
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