THE 5 MOST POPULAR HUANCAVELICA TYPICAL DANCES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The typical dances of Huancavelica are one of the most important manifestations of folklore in the region. Each one has a different origin: it can be of religious origin, or celebrate everyday elements, such as collecting firewood or exchanging food.

Huancavelica, also known as "land of mercury", is one of the twenty-four regions that make up Peru. Its capital, also called Huancavelica, has approximately 40,000 inhabitants.

Due to the importance of the Catholic religion throughout the country, many of its festivals, customs and dances are related to this theme.

Huancavelica is a region very rich in traditions, with a large number of typical dances and music.

During the country's celebrations, it is possible to see different groups performing traditional dances in the streets. There are also companies specialized in this type of dance.

The 5 typical dances of Huancavelica

1- Qachwa Huancavelica

The Qachwa Huancavelica is a typical dance of the area that is performed especially during the cereal harvest season, with wheat and barley being especially important.

This dance is usually danced at night and lasts for many hours. The dance is usually accompanied by the music of different string instruments, songs and clapping.

Dancing is also often used by young singles in rural communities to find a partner.

During the dance the dancers wear traditional clothes, such as hats with scarves, which mark their interest in finding a partner.

The dance also usually becomes a kind of competition, which ends at dawn.

2- Papa Tarpuy

This dance is typical especially of the city of Patacancha, which is located within the Huancavelica region.

This dance symbolizes the importance of teamwork, and how necessary the collaboration of the members of a community is to make it prosper.

Like the previous dance, this one is of agricultural origin. While the young men prepare the farmland, the women encourage them with music and songs, performing the work in the form of dancing.

The focus of this dance is the potato, a fundamental tuber for the traditional economy of the region.

3- Montonero and troops from Cáceres

This dance commemorates the passage of General Andrés Avelino Cáceres through Huancavelica while being pursued by the Chileans.

His main message is loyalty and praise to the warrior spirit of the peasants who supported him in his war against the Chileans.

The dance itself represents the battle and the party after it, in which joy and the celebration of victory are valued. It is one of the liveliest dances in the region.

4- Uywa Raymi

This festival is celebrated in the vast majority of the towns of the Andes in the region. The day of the animals and the shepherds who take care of them is celebrated.

Despite the fact that this festival has mainly Andean roots, the arrival of the Spaniards slightly changed the way of celebrating it.

5- Pachawalay

This dance, spread today throughout the province of Huancavelica, celebrates love and the feats that it encourages to do.

Like the rest of the dances in the area, a story is performed throughout the night to symbolize the message to be transmitted.

The name of this dance comes from two Quechua words, pacha (which means "Earth") and walay ("dawn"); that is to say, the name of the dance is "dawn on Earth." This dance belongs to the genre of the qachuas.

References

1. "Department of Huancavelica" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: December 12, 2017 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
2. "Dances and typical dances of Huancavelica" in: Peru Top Tours. Retrieved on: December 12, 2017 from Peru Top Tours: perutoptours.com
3. "Danzas de Huancavelica" in: In Peru. Retrieved on: December 12, 2017 from In Peru: enperu.org
4. "Danzas de Huancavelica" in: Yachachic. Retrieved on: December 12, 2017 from Yachachic: yachachic.com
5. "Dances of Huancavelica" in: Tourism Huancavelica. Retrieved on: December 12, 2017 from Huancavelica Tourism: turismohuancavelica.com