Dance in Peru is an art form primarily of native origin. There are also

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

s that are related to agricultural work,

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

and

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

. In Peru dancing bears an important cultural significance. Some

choreographies Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer creates choreographies thro ...

show certain Christian influence.

Types of dances

* The most internationally known dance in Peru is the

Marinera Norteña Marinera is a partner dance that originated along the Coast, coastal regions of Peru, using handkerchiefs as props. The dance is a re-enactment of an ancient Mochic dance, modernised with a mix of Contradanza, Spanish contradanza and Zamacueca, ...

. This dance represents a man's courting of a young woman. There are local variants of this dance in the

Lima Region The Department of Lima (), known as the Department of the Capital () until 1823, is a department and region located in the central coast of Peru; the seat of the regional government is Huacho. Lima Province, which contains the city of Lima, ...

and the other regions of the country. * Ancash is a dance performed in Piscobamba (

Ancash Region Ancash (; ) is a department and region in western Peru. It is bordered by the departments of La Libertad on the north, Huánuco and Pasco on the east, Lima on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is the city of Huaraz, ...

), on the occasion of the feast of the Virgin of Mercy, on the 25th, 26th and 27 September. * Apu Inka is a dance which re-enacts the capture of the Inca by the Spanish invaders. * Ch'unchu is a dance performed at festivals of the

Cusco Cusco or Cuzco (; or , ) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range and the Huatanay river. It is the capital of the eponymous Cusco Province, province and Cusco Region, department. The city was the cap ...

Region. * Danzantes de Levanto, a typical dance from the

Amazonas Region Amazonas may refer to: Places * Amazon River, known as ''Amazonas'' in Spanish and Portuguese *Amazonas (Brazilian state), Brazil *Amazonas (Colombian department), Colombia *Amazonas (Peruvian department), Peru *Amazonas (Venezuelan state), Venez ...

. * El Vals Criollo (Vals peruano) is a subgenre and musical adaptation of the original European waltz, originated in Peru or also called a genre of Afro-Peruvian Creole music. * Huaconada (Wanka) is a ritual dance that is represented in the town of Mito, Concepción Province,

Junín Region Junín may refer to: Places Argentina * Junín Partido ** Junín, Buenos Aires *** Junín Airport * Junín Department, Mendoza ** Junín, Mendoza * Junín Department, San Luis * Junín de los Andes, Neuquén Colombia * Junín, Cundinamarca * ...

, located in the Central Andes of Peru. * Qhapaq Qulla is a dance performed at festivals of the Cusco Region. * Supaypa wasin tusuq (

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several Indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, an Indigenous South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language ...

for "dancer of the devil's house") or Danza de tijeras (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

for "dance of scissors") is an indigenous dance native to the region of

Ayacucho Ayacucho (, , derived from the words ''aya'' ("death" or "soul") and ''k'uchu'' ("corner") in honour of the battle of Ayacucho), founded in 1540 as San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga and known simply as Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga) until 1825, i ...

, no relation to the highlands, with musical framework provided by

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

and

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

, which later spread to the

Huancavelica Huancavelica () or Wankawillka in Quechua is a city in Peru. It is the capital of the department of Huancavelica and according to the 2017 census had a population of 49,570 people. The city was established on August 5, 1572 by the Viceroy ...

and Apurímac Regions. * Tarkada is a dance performed during the carnival festival in the

Tacna Region Tacna (; Aymara language, Aymara and Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Taqna'') is the southernmost Regions of Peru, department and Regional Government of Tacna, region in Peru. The Chilean Army occupied the present-day Tacna Department during the W ...

in Peru. * Tondero, also known as Marinera of Alto Piura, Piura yunga or (Morropón). It predates the zamacueca, and with much gypsy influence in its beat, singing tragic and repetitive guitar tundete, or black African influence in its chorus and rhythm (using an instrument made from a dried gourd) and Andean in its rather shrill tone. * Wari, a traditional dance of the Ancash Region. * Waylas/Huaylas (Walyash/Huaylarsh, ) is a dance from the

Mantaro Valley The Mantaro Valley, also known as Jauja Valley, is a fluvial inter-Andean valley of Junin region, east of Lima, the capital of Peru. The Mantaro River flows through the fertile valley which produces potatoes, maize, and vegetables among othe ...

in the department of Junin, in the central Andean part of Peru. It is a very lively and cheerful dance, characterized by the energy and jumping of the dancers. It is danced by pairs of dancers. It originated in association with the potato harvest. * Wititi is a native Peruvian folk dance from Tapay district, Province of Caylloma, Arequipa region in southern Peru. This dance has now spread and is danced in the festivities of many villages the Colca Canyon. Witi Witi in

means "making love" *

Zamacueca The Zamacueca is an ancient colonial dance and music that originated in the Viceroyalty of Peru, taking its roots from Spanish, and Andean rhythms. See also *Dances of Peru *Latin American music The music of Latin America refers to mus ...

is music and a dance that originated in the Viceroyalty of Peru in colonial times, taking its roots from African, Spanish, and Andean rhythms.

Amazonas Region

La Chumaichada

La Chumaichada originated in Chachapoyasis and is known as "the dance of Chachapoyas". No holiday or celebration is complete if it is not danced. The music is probably of Indian origin, but the

choreography Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

has a French origin stemming from "Los Lanceros" (the

lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...

s), a dance introduced in Chachapoyas by the

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

at that time,

monsignor Monsignor (; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons.... or Msgr. In some ...

Emilio Lissón, of French origin. It has been said that he had so much influence that the city became Frenchified during his time.

Los Danzantes de Levanto

Levanto is a little town about 10 km from Chachapoyas, whose "dancers" form a very well trained showy group of thirteen

cholo ''Cholo'' () was a racial category used in 18th-century Spanish America to refer to people who were three-quarters Amerindians, Amerindian by descent and one-quarter Spanish people, Spanish. Its origin is a somewhat derogatory term for Multi ...

s, guided by a "pifador" (a person who whistles) who plays the ''antara'' and a small

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

called the ''

tinya The tinya (Quechua)Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2005 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary) or kirki (Quechua) is a percussion instrument, a small handmade drum of leather whic ...

'' simultaneously. They wear a white shirt of wide and long sleeves, a black vest adorned with red ribbons and black trousers, and a crown of showy

peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

feathers. Their presence is important in all the big celebrations of the region. Other well-known dances performed in diverse localities are: * The " Conchiperla", in which the man gives a

handkerchief A handkerchief (; also called a hankie or, historically, a handkercher or a ) is a form of a kerchief or bandanna, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric which can be carried in the pocket or handbag for personal hygiene purposes such as w ...

to his partner; he must keep a

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

on the ground and must drink a glass of

liqueur A liqueur ( , ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of Liquor, spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-age ...

if he fails. * The " Trapichillo", danced by four couples holding their right hands and turning anticlockwise. * The " Quinsamana", in which

insult An insult is an expression, statement, or behavior that is often deliberately disrespectful, offensive, scornful, or derogatory towards an individual or a group. Insults can be intentional or unintentional, and they often aim to belittle, of ...

compliments are mixed.

Carnaval in Amazonas

The "carnival

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

" that is played is euphoric. It is similar to the

huayno Huayno (Waynu in Quechua)Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary) is a genre of popular Andean music and dance. It is especially common in Peru, western Bolivia, northwest A ...

. Pairs dance forming the ''pandilla'' (a kind of dance) around the ''humishas'' - trees adorned with quitasueños, small mirrors, ornamental chain stitches and pennants. These trees are filled with gifts, including live animals, which the guests take when the trees are knocked down at the end of the celebration. The pair who fell the ''humisha'' in a

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ; also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to it being ...

celebration have to make a new ''humisha'' the next year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peruvian Dances Culture of Peru