.
TODD: THE FIRE SPIRIT IS
ZOZOBRA’S ARCH-ENEMY.
DRESSED IN ALL RED, ARMED WITH A
PAIR OF BLAZING TORCHES, WHE
YOU SEE THE DANCER, YOU KNOW
ZOZOBRA’S REIGN OF TERROR IS
ABOUT TO GO UP IN FLAMES.
BUT IN REAL LIFE HELENE LUNA IS
, VERY SWEET.
>> I HAVE BEEN DANCING IN FRONT
OF ZOZOBRA’S INSTANT 1986.
TODD: THE SANTA FE NATIVE NOW
LIVES IN COLORADO BUT HER
, HIGHLIGHT EVERY YEAR IS COMING
BACK HOME, TO BE THE FIRE DANCER
AT ZOZOBRA
>> I REMEMBER GOING TO ZOZOBRA
WHEN YOU COULD STILL DRIVE CARS
IN.
THERE’S PICTURES OF ME ON MY
DAD’S SHOULDERS AND I WAS
MESMERIZED BY THE FIRE DANCER.
TODD: HER RISE TO THE COVETED
SPOT TOOK TIME.
SHE AUDITIONED IN THE 90’S, AND
AT THE TIME GOT A NEWLY CREATED
ROLE AT ZOZOBRA.
QUEEN OF THE GLOOM.
IT’D TAKE 11 MORE YEARS BEFORE
BEING PASSED THE TORCH.
>> SINCE I HAD BEEN DANCING
SINCE 1996, WHEN IT CAME TIME
FOR A NEW FIRE DANCER, THEY
LOOKED TO ME AND I WAS VERY
LUCKY.
TODD: LUCKY BECAUSE IT’S RARE
FOR THE TORCH TO BE PASSED ON.
LUNA IS JUST THE 6TH FIRE
DANCER IN THE NEARLY 100 YEARS
OF’ ZOZOBRA.
HERE’S A PICTURE OF THE MAN WHO
DID IT THE LONGEST, JACQUES
CARTIER.
THE BALLET DANCER FROM NEW YORK
CAME TO SANTA FE FOR 37 STRAIGHT
YEARS TO BE FIRE DANCER.
HE WAS SUCCEEDED IN 1970 BY HIS
STUDENT, CHIP LILIENTHAL.
THERE IS CHIP IN LOOK AT
1987.
ZOZOBRA’S REACTION, ALMOST TO
SA "OH, BOY, HERE WE GO
AGAIN."
TWO OF CHIP’S DAUGHTERS HAVE
ALSO PLAYED FIRE SPIRIT.
AND LUNA HAS BEEN TORCHING OLD
MAN GLOOM SINCE 2007.
THIS YEAR BRINGS THE EXT
CHALLENGE OF NOT HAVING HER FUEL
, THE CROWD.
>> THE CROWD CREATES THIS FIRE
SPIRIT TO GET RID OF ALL THE
GLOOM, SO THE MINUTE YOU GO OUT
THERE AND YOU HEAR THIS ENERGY,
THAT IS WHAT DRIVES YOU.
SO THIS YEAR IT IS COMING FROM
THE HEART.
TODD: AND IT’S A WORKOUT.
THE JOB TAKES TRAINING.
SHE’S BEEN DANCING BALLET SINCE
AFTER COLLEGE.
STILL TAKES FOUR TO FIVE DANCE
CLASSES A WEEK AND THEN HAS HER
OWN WEIGHT REGIMEN TO GET HER
ARMS JUST RIGHT FOR THE BIG
NIGH
>> IRAN WITH WEIGHTS AREA AND I
HAVE MY LITTLE -- NOW  I
RUN WITH WEIGHTS.
I HAVE MY WHOLE RUNNING THAT I
DO.
THOSE TORCHES ARE HEAVY.
TODD: AND FROM A DISTANCE, WE’LL
BE CHEERING HER ON THE WHOLE
WAY.
HEY, A NATIVE SANTA FEAN IS OUR
FIRE DANCER, AND SHE ABSOLUTELY
LOVES IT.
>> IT IS FUN TO GO OUT THERE AND
HEAR THE CROWD AND DANCE AND DO
THIS INCREDIBLE THING.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS
ABOUT GIVING BACK, TOO.
THIS IS MY HOME.
ROYALE: LUNA SAYS SHE DOESN’T
PLAN ON RETIRING ANY TIME SOON,
BUT WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT SHE
WOULD BE HAPPY TO PASS THE
LITERAL TORCH TO THE NEXT EAGER
DA
