The Scissors Dancers
The Scissors Dancers of Peru at the Raritan Native American Heritage Celebrations & PowWow 2024 Held in Middlesex County Fairgrounds, East Brunswick, NJ.
The Scissors Dance, Peru's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity :
Folklore is undoubtedly one of the greatest sources of pride for countries. The inhabitants of a country identify with local artistic expressions, including traditional dances. In Peru, there is a wide variety of traditional dances that are known internationally, including the “scissors dance”, recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on November 16, 2010.
The scissors dance is an Andean ritual that is practiced in different cities in Peru, mainly in the Departments of Huancavelica and Ayacucho. It stands out for its originality, ancient roots, and symbolic value. The man who dances plays the role of the “mediator” between Mother Earth and the Andes and the settlers, managing the connection between them.
The origins of the dance date back to the 16th century when it was called “Taki Onkoy”, a Quechua expression and movement of the time that means “the rebellion of the Huacas”. It originated in the ancient region of Chanka (which today corresponds to the departments of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Apurimac), where, after the Spanish conquest in Peru, the priests of Taki Onkoy announced throughout the country that the centers of worship or huacas that had been destroyed by the Spanish were still in existence, in addition to proclaiming the end of the oppression by the conquistadores. These priests were driven by the force of the APUS and the PACHAMAMA to dance and communicate the message that everything that surrounds us on Earth and in space has life.
This representative dance from the mountainous regions of Peru is very colorful and powerful. It includes impressive acrobatics by the dancers, who are called “Danzaq”, whose creativity and dexterity in the dance steps amazes spectators. During the scissors dance, the man dances while carrying scissors called “female” and “male”, shaking, clinking, and moving them in the different choreography sequences.
--- peru.info
The Scissors Dancers
The Scissors Dancers of Peru at the Raritan Native American Heritage Celebrations & PowWow 2024 Held in Middlesex County Fairgrounds, East Brunswick, NJ.
The Scissors Dance, Peru's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity :
Folklore is undoubtedly one of the greatest sources of pride for countries. The inhabitants of a country identify with local artistic expressions, including traditional dances. In Peru, there is a wide variety of traditional dances that are known internationally, including the “scissors dance”, recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on November 16, 2010.
The scissors dance is an Andean ritual that is practiced in different cities in Peru, mainly in the Departments of Huancavelica and Ayacucho. It stands out for its originality, ancient roots, and symbolic value. The man who dances plays the role of the “mediator” between Mother Earth and the Andes and the settlers, managing the connection between them.
The origins of the dance date back to the 16th century when it was called “Taki Onkoy”, a Quechua expression and movement of the time that means “the rebellion of the Huacas”. It originated in the ancient region of Chanka (which today corresponds to the departments of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Apurimac), where, after the Spanish conquest in Peru, the priests of Taki Onkoy announced throughout the country that the centers of worship or huacas that had been destroyed by the Spanish were still in existence, in addition to proclaiming the end of the oppression by the conquistadores. These priests were driven by the force of the APUS and the PACHAMAMA to dance and communicate the message that everything that surrounds us on Earth and in space has life.
This representative dance from the mountainous regions of Peru is very colorful and powerful. It includes impressive acrobatics by the dancers, who are called “Danzaq”, whose creativity and dexterity in the dance steps amazes spectators. During the scissors dance, the man dances while carrying scissors called “female” and “male”, shaking, clinking, and moving them in the different choreography sequences.
--- peru.info