Dances of Peru

The dances of Peru refer to a set of expressions whose origin dates back to pre-Hispanic times, later, with colonization and cultural exchange between American-Hispanic- African, there was a great mix of culture and traditions; The dances of Peru are traditions from the coast, mountains and jungle regions, in order to celebrate their homeland. It identifies us as a country. Region

Classification of the dances of Peru

They are divided into:

Farm dances

These are the dances that express the man-land and man-production relationship. That give rise to the celebration of a good harvest, giving a maternal character to living nature: the pachamama.

Examples:

• Chuño saruy
• Mom Rayguana
• Quinua Qakuy

They are original dances that are formulated or originated through the intercommercial relationship between the human being and the earth, that is, between people and the environment, it is also the type of communication that exists between the two.

Carnival dances

They are the dances that are performed during the carnival cicadas festival, they generally take the name of the place where they are danced, although there are some that have their own name. These dances coincide with the time of great maturation according to the agricultural cycle of the Andean zone, which is why in some cases they are mixed with ancestral rites and dances that represent the initiation of the young and the mating of animals.

Examples:

• Carnival of Cajamarca
• Carnival Ayacuchano
• Carnival Abanquino
• Kashua
• Tarkada

Carnivalesque dances combine games, music, singing and choreographic movements with joy and a burlesque and romantic satirical message. They express a tribute to life, a cult of love and fertility.

Ceremonial dances

They are dances linked to ceremonies or rituals that may be linked to communal activities such as irrigation, harvesting or planting; or that commemorate some event in the history of a region. These dances usually contain theatrical scenes or representations.

Examples:

• La Huaconada de Mito
• The Scissors Dance

Religious dances

Dances linked to religious worship and performed during patron saint and Catholic festivals, the vast majority are the product of religious syncretism between European and Andean cultures.

Examples:

• The Dance The Negritos of Huayllay, linked to the celebration for the Birth of the Child Jesus.
• The Dance of Negritos in Chincha, linked to Afro-Peruvian Christmas.
• The pacasito in Piura, dance of the religious feast of the Lord of Ayabaca.
• The Chuncho Qhapaq in Cusco, dance linked to the religious feasts of Cusco (Lord of Qoylloriti, Lord Jesus and the Lord of Choquequilca).
• The San Jacinto Canyons in Áncash, typical dance at the party to San Jacinto.

Ballroom dances

They are dances for couples that are currently danced in all kinds of festivities. They are currently regulated and are practiced professionally:

• The Peruvian waltz
• The Peruvian polka
• The sailor, love-like dance that represents the gallant of a couple, especially the trujillana sailor.
• Chiriguano, of Aymara origin.
• Chatripuli, who satirizes Spanish soldiers during the war of independence.
• Kena kena, referring to Chilean soldiers during the Pacific war.
• Waracas de micayo, dance that represents the existing rivalry among the villages of the department of Cusco. On this occasion the clash between the villages of Tinta and Canas is specifically appreciated, which is why the dancers have different clothes according to the use of their respective people, and make differences in the execution of the choreographic movements. Each side will try to double the other using their respective weapons and especially waracas, so widespread in the Sierra de Peru.

Hunting Dances

They represent the act of hunting animals, you can name:

• Choq'elas, which represents the hunting of vicuñas in the Andean strips.

List of Peruvian dances

Dances of the department of Amazonas:

1. Benllas
2. Carnival of Chachapoyas
3. Chumaycha.
4. Marinera chachapoyana

Dances from the department of Áncash:

1. Antihuanquillas
2. Arpa Wanka
3. Drago Poncho
4. Carnival huaracino
5. Marinera ancashina
6. Mozo dance
7. Pallas de Corongo
8. Pasacalle ancashino
9. Quiyayas de Cabana
10. Shacshas de Corongo
11. Shacshas de Huaraz
12. Yungay Shacshas

Dances of the department of Apurímac:

1. Carnival abanquino
2. Carnival of Huaccana
3. Carnival of Ocobamba
4. Sicuna Carnival
5. Andahuaylas negotiations
6. Phallchay

Dances of the department of Arequipa:

1. Carnival of Arequipa
2. Montonero
3. Caylloma Turks
4. Wifala de Ispacas
5. Wititi

Dances of the department of Ayacucho:

1. Carnival of Culluchaca
2. Carnival of Sarhua
3. Carnival de Soccos
4. Carnival Huamanguino
5. Cocharunas
6. Marinera ayacuchana

Dances of the department of Cajamarca:

1. Carnival of Cajamarca
2. Cashua de Cajamarca
3. Chunchos de Porcón
4. Pallas de Cajamarca

Dances of the department of Cusco:

1. Carnival of Canas
2. Carnival of Ccatcca
3. Carnival of Checca
4. Carnival of Sayllapata
5. Carnival of Tinta
6. Chunchacha
7. Contradanza de Paucartambo
8. Danzaq
9. Huayno Valicha
10. Marinera Caneña
11. Marinera chumbivilcana
12. Marinera cusqueña
13. Marinera spain
14. Mestiza Qoyacha
15. Negrillos de Paucartambo
16. Bakeries
17. Pawcartampus
18. Qanchis de Mamuera
19. Qanchis de Sarasani
20. Qhapaq Chuncho
21. Black Qhapaq
22. Qhapaq Qolla
23. Saras Pillu
24. Siqllas
25. Taruka Chacuy
26. Tupay of Espinar
27. Waka waka de Paucartambo
28. Wallatas
29. Wifala llallinakuy of chinchero

Dances of the department of Lima:

1. Abuelitos de Quipan
2. Aucas and Kiyayas
3. Barbecu
4. Torito dance
5. Wedding in Amancaes
6. Caballitos de Ihuari
7. Carnival Larahuino
8. Carnival of Andajes
9. Carnival Cup
10. Carnival of Huantan
11. Carnival of Paccho
12. Carnival of Quipán
13. Carnival of Utcas
14. Captain and bridesmaid
15. Champeria de Huanza
16. Champeria de Paccho
17. Champeria de Laraos
18. Champeria and Jojo de Navan
19. Chimus
20. Chonguinada ayavirina/Quinches
21. Chunchada de Huantan
22. Chunchitos de Huamantanga
23. Quinti chunchitos
24. Yauyo Chunchos
25. Chunchos de Ayaviri
26. Laraos tape and plumage
27. Cocharquina
28. Coronguina
29. Corpus Christi de Hongos
30. Corpus Christi de Huañec
31. Corpus Christi de Santa Cruz de Andamarca
32. Blanket Harvest
33. Contradanza de Sumbilca
34. Contradanza de Huándaro
35. Quinches Cuadrilla
36. Cubs
37. Curriculum
38. The Alcatraz
39. Fiesta de Caporalia y negrería de Oyón
40. Fiesta de Huaylayo
41. Laraos Water Festival
42. Festival Patronal de la Virgen de la Candelaria de Ñaupay
43. Herranza de Huañec
44. Herranza y Rodeo de Santa Cruz de Andamarca
45. Huachua
46. Huancadanzas de San Mateo
47. Huancos de Cajatambo
48. Huancos de Pirca
49. Huancos de Coto
50. Huanquitos de Ñaupay
51. Huanquitos de Obrajillo
52. Huanquitos de San Juan de Lanca
53. Huanquitos de Sumbilca
54. Huaylashada
55. Jogos de Caujul
56. Serranitos de Huandaro
57. Siega and Trilla in the Yarunga era
58. Ingas de Huarochirí
59. Ingas de Canta
60. Clean acequia of miraflores
61. Marinera limeña
62. Mamashiña
63. Matachines de Laraos
64. Matachines de Lachaqui
65. Black Christmas
66. Negrería alisina
67. Negrería de Huañec
68. Negrería de Yauyos
69. Negrería tomasina
70. Negritas de Huancaya
71. Negritos de Antioquía
72. Negritos de Aurincay
73. Cajatambo Negritos
74. Negritos de Coayllo
75. Negritos de Naván
76. Negritos de Huachinga
77. Negritos de Huamantanga
78. Negritos de Ihuarí
79. Quipan Task Negritos
80. Negritos de Putinza
81. Negritos de Viñac
82. Vitis Negritos
83. Negritos de Santa Cruz de Andamarca
84. Negritos de Jucul
85. Spaniards of Quilmaná
86. Alis Pallas
87. Andage shovels
88. Pallas de Cajatambo
89. Caujul Pallas
90. Coayllo Pallas
91. Pallas de Cochamarca
92. Cup Pallas
93. Chaclla Pallas
94. Chilca Pallas
95. Gorgor Pallas
96. Laraos Pallas
97. Pallas de Huancapon
98. Pallas de Lunahuaná
99. Tomas Pallas
100. Oyon Pallas
101. Pallas de Pucusana
102. Easter larahuina
103. Pastor of Acobamba
104. Pastor of Tauripampa
105. Pastoras de Callahuanca
106. Pastors of Carampoma
107. Pastoras de Huañec
108. Pastors of Quipan
109. Pastors of Lurín
110. Pastors of Santa Luzmilla
111. Pastors of Taboada
112. Polka Criolla
113. Quia Quia
114. Quiullo de Chauca
115. Viscas Quiullo
116. King Inca
117. Rodeo de Chauca
118. Otec Rodeo
119. Rodeo de Puna
120. Sumbilca Rodeo
121. Rodeo de Quipan
122. Shumay wuachwalsa
123. They're the devils.
124. House in Laraos
125. Toromata
126. Vals criollo
127. Co Takiy
128. Wakjaira
129. Zamacueca

Dances of the department of Puno:

1. Ayarachis de Cuyo
2. Ayarachis de Paratia
3. Balseritos de Wiñaymarca
4. Carnival of Arapa
5. Carnival of Cuyo
6. Carnival of Lampa
7. Carnival of Nicasio
8. Carnival of Paratia
9. Carnival of Pupuja
10. Carnival of Umachiri
11. Choke them
12. Chunchos de Esquilaya
13. Kajelo
14. Canteria Callers
15. Marinera puneña
16. Punish pan
17. Capachica Qashwa
18. Sikuris de Taquile
19. Tuntuna

Scissors Dance

The «scissors dance», «danzaq» or «gala dance» is an indigenous dance native to the Ayacucho region, with no relation to the highlands, whose musical framework is provided by violin and harp, and which later it was spread to the regions of Huancavelica and Apurímac.

Peruvian Diablada

La diablada is a dance named for the devil mask and costume worn by the dancers. The dance represents the confrontation between the forces of good and evil, bringing together as many elements of the Catholic religion introduced during the Hispanic presence as those of the traditional Andean ritual. Its origin dates back to colonial times, when the Jesuits came to evangelize South America and performed auto sacramentals in the town of Juli, in the department of Puno. Currently, the devil has a notable presence during the Festival in honor of the Blessed Virgin of Candelaria of Puno, which was declared by Unesco as Intangible and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Dance highly acclaimed by the Peruvian people, although many thought it was devil worship because of his distinctive name.

Peruvian Morenada

Moreno de la Morenada.

In the colonial era of the Viceroyalty of Peru, there is already a record of the black population in the highlands of Puno, as documented in 1602 by Ludovico Bertonio, an Italian Jesuit living in Juli, Puno. "The Andean population called these blacks: Ch'ara or yanaruna. And the pronounced geta they had, they said: Lakha llint'a". At the beginning of the XVII century, according to González Holguín and Bertonio, Africans were referred to indistinctly as black or brown.

Quipán's grandparents

The traditional dance “Los abuelitos de Quipán” of magical religious origin was attributed in the Andean worldview where the legendary Markas lived, in past times.

It was mixed in the 16th century by Hispanic syncretism in the nascent town of San Pedro y San Pablo de Quipán. He has been dancing since his enthronement as a festive tribute to the Virgen del Carmen, on July 14 to 16 of each year in the town and in Huacho, Huaraz and Lima.

It constitutes the folkloric fact: the captivating music played on the harp –formerly with the violin– that goes beyond sound and attractive rhythm.

The choreography of the parade and the movement of transport –plain, transport, broad bean flower, sugar cube, especially the plain and the willow, embodied with joy, success, balance and spiritual harmony when executed with stately style and grace.

The dancer in a dark suit wears the romantic sui generis paraphernalia of the chullo or hat; the "champa" of polychrome ribbons with floral icons of the place sliding down the back like beautiful hair, rosones, ribbons, mirrors, braids in fine criznejas, a crimson handkerchief embroidered with an expression of love and kindness, an attractive light-skinned mask European imitation of the conqueror, two legs or "garcela" or "morescas" full of trepidating rattles that harmonize the solemn steps, movements of the dancer; a cane that is a symbol of distinction and authority, around which they stomp with perfect verve, holding their own peace, and a pair of gloves of deep-rooted lineage.

The enigmatic dance would represent the curacas or markas, or the council of notable elders of the town, or perhaps a parody of the old colonial authorities, or perhaps the elderly man by virtue of his life cycle.

This dance was and is transmitted from parents to children, from generation to generation. It has a fruitful journey in Peru and in various cities in America, Europe, Asia, among others. For being one of the most representative in the Canteña Region.

On September 8, 2001, it was declared Cultural Heritage of the province of Canta.

Carnival

Dancers of the Puno Pupuja Carnival.

Carnivals are a festivity widespread throughout the Peruvian territory that was enthroned during colonial times and that is linked to the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, which is why it is a mobile party.

According to tradition, carnival is celebrated immediately before Lent, that is to say, before Ash Wednesday, but in the traditional culture of Peru this has varied in such a way that the party usually extends after this date in some regions.

The dances that accompany the carnival party tend to vary in each region of Peru, even in each populated center as manifested by the folklore of some regions.

The carnival itself lasts throughout Peru, but in some parts of the country this date is accompanied by native rites and dances that are performed only during this time. In some cases, the carnival festivity and dance are accompanied by autochthonous rites to which other rites of Christian origin have been added –crosses, saints, processions, etc.– so that today we can say that the motivation for the execution of the Carnival festival in Peru is mixed: on the one hand, the memory of the ancient protector gods that are not forgotten; and on the other, the Catholic belief in one God.

Culluchaca Carnival (Ayacucho)

It is a dance performed in the community of Culluchaca (District of Huanta) in the Ayacucho region. It has a Quechua origin and is danced between February and March.

• Etymology: Culluchaca which is located northeast of the province of Huanta, comes from two Quechuas words that means “cullu-chaca” is the abbreviation of trunk – bridge and means bridge of trunk. Currently it is council minor formerly community of Culluchaca.
• Qallarí: Singles and singles on Saturday night or Sunday morning from the community of Culluchaca must mobilize from the community to the hills Vizcancha, Ichu, Punta, Puncu, Qasa, Pincha Punta, Yana Urqu.

Huaconade of Myth

The huaconada is a ritual dance performed in the Mito district, Concepción province, Junín region. This dance is performed on the first days of January every year and is characterized by characters representing a masked man with a prominent nose called huacón and which gives the dance its name. These huacones represent an old council of elders and during the days that the dance is performed, they become the highest authority of the town of Mito. The huacon also carries whips in his hand, which is called a "thunderer". The huaconada is executed to the rhythm of the tinya, an indigenous drum.

The Huaconada de Mito was proclaimed cultural heritage of the Nation on December 23, 2003, by the then National Institute of Culture of Peru; later on November 16, 2010 it was proclaimed Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco.

Huaylarsh

It is defined as a couples' comparsa dance, whose origin had a religious mythical ritual character. In addition, its evolution is shown as follows:

1. Ritual, mythical-religious.
2. Pastoril.
3. Agrarian.
4. Intermediate or transition.
5. Mestizo or citadino (modern).

This dance is the liveliest and most joyful of the Sierra Central and the Mantaro Valley. It has very lively movements, and very peculiar movements or stomping imitating the courtship of the thrush. It is danced in groups of couples who take turns executing various movements and steps, with dynamism and mischief. It is related to the harvests and agricultural tasks, with which they celebrate the agricultural wealth, the yield of the crops and the production of the area. It is accompanied by instruments such as the saxophone, violin, clarinet and harp.

This is a popular dance widely spread among the communities of the Mantaro Valley; Huayucachi, viques, chupuro, Huancán, chupaca and others (located in the central south and west of Huancayo). They are the creators and those who promoted its national preservation. Agriculture and livestock are important traditional activities for the Andean man for constituting one of the main means of livelihood and development in force until today, disseminated by indigenous casts such as Alianza Huayucachi, Los carniceros de Viquez, Virgen María de los Ángeles de Chupaca, The community members of Viques and others.

In the introduction, the dancers perform a wait that reflects the preparation for the dance, then the dance itself where various choreographic displacements, lines, parallels, crosses, circles, etc. are performed.

Huayno

This dance of Inca origin is the most widespread and popular in the Peruvian Andes, and is present in all the festive performances.

This dance has been modified by later influences, and varies by region. It is danced in pairs but with little physical contact. Its musical accompaniment varies according to the region and the socio-cultural stratum.

Huayno is currently very widespread among the Andean countries that were part of the Tawantinsuyo, mainly in Peru. The huayno adopts various modalities, according to local or regional traditions; and in a certain way it represents the popular adherence to the culture of the terroir. Is considered the Andin dance for excellence.

Sailor

North Marine in Trujillo.

The marinera is a dance for a mixed couple, the best known on the coast of Peru. It is characterized by the use of handkerchiefs. It is a dance that shows the Hispanic-Amerindian-African miscegenation, among others. Its origin is attributed to a colonial dance called zamacueca, which was very popular in the XIX century. For her wardrobe, the woman wears a nightgown called anaco that stands out as a blouse over the wide skirt attached to her waist. The lady has the charm of courtship and dance. Also very showy are the famous "sleepers", artistic earrings (earrings) worked in filigram, the work of the town's goldsmiths. The woman dances with bare feet.

The man wears a jacket, pants, shirt, shoes with a hat; both wear handkerchiefs dancing happily to the rhythm of the music, the dance is from the coast. This dance is typical of the city of Trujillo located in the department of La Libertad in northern Peru. It is a dance with a lot of coquetry and work as a couple, where the woman is difficult, not wanting to accept the partner, at the end she ends up accepting.

It consists of three parts: the beginning, the middle part and the fugue. During the dance, the man tries to steal a kiss from her and the woman pretends to accept, but when the man is about to give her a kiss, she turns her face away and ignores him. In the part of the fugue, the cloths are raised.

The costumes are specially designed for the occasion; They come from Monsefú, Moche and Catacaos, towns near Trujillo. These are part of another competition, in which they compete for the attention of the spectators and the qualifying jury, for the delivery of a special prize for the best wardrobe. This dance is currently danced every year in the international Marinera contest in the last weeks of January in the city of Trujillo and in the month of June.

Stop it or karabotas

This dance is one of the most representative of the folklore of Puno born in the Aimara area of this department, in this dance the dancer represents a brave horseman, who dominates his partner, and compliments him, with the whip in the hand, and to the beat of the music. It is cheerful, and the dancers wear a wide-brimmed hat, a chullo with ear flaps, a scarf, a vicuña or alpaca poncho, typical of the region, a dagger in the calf, boots, and snoring spurs. Its origin is supposed to go back to the time of the Túpac Amaru rebellion, in which the Yanaconas and the commoners, baptized Karabotas, imitated the fine boots of the French.

Tondero

Dance also known as the sailor dance of the Alto Piura, or the yunga piurana (Morropón). It predates the zamacueca, and has a very gypsy influence in its compás, tragic singing and repetitive guitar thump; of African or black influence in its chorus (choir) and rhythmic form (the use of the checo, an instrument made of dried gourd) and Andean in its shrill or weeping form.

Unlike the zamacueca and due to the location of the Province of Morropón as a pre-Andean region, this dance bears Creole (Hispanic-Africanoid) and Andean miscegenation. Cities like Morropón, Chulucanas, San Juan de Bigote, La Matanza, Salitran were populated by rice and soap farms where many black slaves, gypsy migrants or Piajenos lived, and due to the proximity to the mountains, also Andean migrants who brought the Yaraví from Arequipa, fusing it with the Cumanana, a form of Spanish-African origin; also creating the famous northern term Sad with Fuga de Tondero, which is also very popular in the Lambayeque yunga.

Creole Waltz

Although there is a diversity of forms depending on the area, the most widespread is the criollo waltz, from the central and northern coastal areas. Its origins in Peru date back to the end of the XIX century, when the Viennese waltz became popular in the cities. It is danced by semi-embracing couples. In the traditional Peruvian waltz, acoustic guitars are used for musical accompaniment, Peruvian cajón, and spoons.

This is one of the most representative and popular dances. Of Afro-Peruvian origin, the current way of dancing it took on these characteristics at the beginning of the XX century. It is danced in pairs but no contact between dancers; It is moved and mischievous, with certain sexual connotations. It has musical accompaniment of guitars and traditional percussion, with soloist and choir. Its origin is popular African. It was the representative dance of the Creole black on the Peruvian coast. He was born in the black conglomerates of colonial Lima. Musical instruments for this dance must have originally been leather drums, which were later replaced by the cajón and the maraca by the jaw of a donkey, adding guitar and singing. The verses of the celebration were always about a festive matter, hence its name. The repeated stops after periods of four or eight bars and the choral refrain of the fugue are characteristic. It may have originally been male solo dance, improvising steps and acrobatic contortions with complete freedom of spirit and without any choreographic rules. The celebration, whose original choreography is unknown, was the representative dance of the Creole black, descendants of Africans located on the Peruvian coast, born in the Creole black conglomerates of colonial Lima.

Wititi

Wititi Dancers in Colca-Peru.

The wititis today are men and women from the Colca Valley, Caylloma province, who practice the Wifala warrior dance in the upper parts of the Colca Valley. In Tapay it was born as a dance with the name of Witi Witi. In this biodiverse district with a spring climate, it continues to be an eminently romantic dance, as a loving prelude to the cult of reproduction and abundance. "Witi witi" is a Quechua term typical of the place. The Wititi evolves first reaching the Cabana culture and then from there it continues towards the higher towns such as the Kollagua culture, whose temporary invasion of highland cultures leaves many Aymara terms in the speech of the towns on the banks of the Colca river. One of them is this dance, which they called "wititi" in reference to similar customs in the highlands, which retains this name in the Kollawa culture as witnesses of a forced presence of the Tiawanaco culture in the Colca of the Arequipa region.

Due to its warlike connotation given by the Kollawas, this cultural expression survived several attempts to prohibit it by colonial and republican authorities, especially in Tapay due to its more carnivalesque and romantic way of interpreting it. Later, although now the terminology is aimara, in its beginnings this dance already existed since pre-Inca times, being called in Quechua as the dance in honor of love and reproduction as Wititi. Wiphala and wititis terminologies were adapted to represent the warrior spirit of the invaders to the original ethnic groups on the banks of the Colca River, to later represent the historic encounter of the Inca State with the Collawa and Cabana peoples, but not with the place of origin which is Tapay, after the armed resistance in the upper parts of what is now the province of Caylloma. The idiosyncrasy of the inhabitants of this deep and biodiverse district reflects the isolated environment, with customs very different from the rest of the Colca towns, these customs were made their own little by little by other cultures such as the Cabana and Kollagua.