Pencil dance

Outside Chinchero, Peru.

 

I feel both tickled and torn when I view this photo. On the one hand, the little girl is dancing her tiny heart out dressed up like a Quechuan flower for us. On the other hand, I feel she and her sister are terribly exploited by her mother who waits for the buses to stop in the countryside to check out a beautiful view of the Chinchero valley. It was quite cold up there and both sisters danced and then intermittantly became more frustrated with Mom because they wanted to play with their pencil gifts. I'd like to think that this photo captures something in her eyes that encompasses both cute innocence and a hardship that weighs heavily upon her shoulders.

Done