Tobas
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The folkloric dance of the Tobas is rooted in the history of
Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
. It has roots in a time when the
Incas The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The Inca civilisation rose fr ...
were the predominant force in the Andean highlands region. Tobas is characterized by fast-paced choreography that includes jumps and agile footwork.


History

The Tobas were a tribe of warriors that lived in the Chaco region of Bolivia. The Incas admired the Tobas dance and they were taken from their Amazonian homeland by the Emperor Tupac Yupanqui. The dance and music of the Tobas have been reinterpreted by subsequent people of Bolivia. Today, Tobas is a prominent part of the annual carnivals (like the
Carnaval de Oruro The Carnival of Oruro is a religious and cultural festival in Oruro, Bolivia. Originally an indigenous festival, the celebration later was transformed to incorporate a Christian ritual around the Virgin of Socavón. The carnival is one of ...
or the Bolivian Festival in Virginia).


Dance

The Tobas dance is a representation of energy - a singular dance with jumps performed by the dancers to impress the audience. The dance is performed during religious and other festivities as well as the Oruro Carnival. Performing the dance requires physical strength, stamina, and coordination. Each dance step has a traditional name and style. For example: Bolivar involves fast regular jumps; camba features high, one-meter jumps; chucu-chucu uses a rapid rhythm and tiptoe movements; and the cullahui jump is another distinctive element.


Costume

The typical Tobas costume is headwear entirely made of feathers, decorated with jewels, a skirt and top decorated made with colorful fabrics, with beads and fringes on the bottom, with cows feet sewed onto fabric to tie around the ankle, spear or hatchet, bracelet of feathers, and an anklet of feathers.


Notes and references

* https://web.archive.org/web/20101222001648/http://www.boliviacontact.com/en/sugerencia/carnaval/tobas.php * https://web.archive.org/web/20110403002414/http://www.boliviatravelsite.com/oruro_carnival_dances.php Bolivian dances Indigenous dances of South America {{dance-stub