Peru Dance and Theatre

By Ricardo Segreda

Dance

As with music in pre-Colombian Peru was dance assimilated into the undertakings of farming, hunting and combat. There is the llamerada, for example, a still-performed dance that imitates the act of llama herding as a means of ensuring the successful realization of the task. As with the "sun dances" of Native North Americans, for the indigenous inhabitants of Peru, dance was considered a religious ritual with the supernatural ability to positively impact the quality of life for the tribe.

Among Peruvians, dances that can trace their origins to the pre-Colombian include the huayno, the most representative of Andean folkloric dances. Quite possibly it began as a ritual dance originally performed at funerals but which is now serves a purely celebratory function in the community. The dance is performed by couples in embroidered vests and brightly colorful dresses—the national hues of yellow, red, and blue predominate—who circle the musicians while doing abrupt spins, hops, and tap-like movements to keep time with the drums, harps, guitars, and violins. Some variations include wind instruments such as trumpets and saxophones.

The Marinera is Peru’s most famous dance, a pas de deux in which both partners elegantly wave silk handkerchiefs and execute graceful and precise movements to the accompaniment of Spanish guitars, a Creole cajon (a percussive wooden box) and bugles. Frequently the woman, with her flowing, pleated, and striped skirt, is barefoot, marking the rhythm and guiding her male partner, sharply attired and with a white brimmed hat. The name refers to the coastal region where it originated, and the dance traditions of Spain, Africa, and indigenous Peru all contributed to a dance that is associated with national pride.

Theatre

There are several theatrical traditions in Peru, which have at times conflicted with each other, and other times merged, which in recent times has resulted in provocative work that has received worldwide acclaim. Before conquest and colonization, and as with ancient Greece, theatre was religious ceremony, celebrating such deities as the sun god Inti in the festival of Inti Raymi, or Feast of the Sun. The ceremony coincided with winter solstice. Following the conquest, it was banned by the Catholic Church, which also incorporated many pagan elements into its own religious pageants. The Inti Raymi celebration did not return until the 20th century, when a renewed appreciation of indigenous culture revived Inti Raymi as theatre, proudly presented in Quechua. As performed in the city of Cusco, a local is chosen to represent an Incan ruler, adorned with helmet-like feathered crown and bearing a war hammer, and born aloft in his throne to the town center, where rituals and prophecies initiate nine days of celebrations. Other religious festivals integrate elements of both the Catholic veneration of saints and the Virgin Mary with Andean ceremonial traditions and archetypes.

For its part, the Church instituted the theatrical-theological traditions of Old Spain to the New World, with the first play being performed in 1568 in Lima's Plaza de San Pedro. Over the centuries Peruvian secularized, obtaining wealthy patrons outside the Church, and by the 20th century playwrights such as Sebastian Salazar Bondy and Enrique Solari Swayne brought literary prestige and social conscience to the Peruvian stage.

However, Peru's most highly regarded contribution to the art of theatre is the innovative company Yuyachkani. Formed in the early 1970's, Yuyachkani, being heavily influenced by the modernist, avant-garde philosophy of European directors such as Peter Brook and Jerzy Grotowski brought about a renewed focus on the actor as the catalyst for stirring the political and spiritual conscience of the audience. The group itself survived through Peru's volatile political and social history to serve as a virtual Greek chorus for the country.

The company’s name is derived from the Quechua expression for "I am thinking and I am remembering," and has not been afraid to venture into some of the most socially ravaged sectors of Peru, addressing issues such as terrorism and social injustice, through a style that is both abstract yet accessible to all Peruvians. A production of Sophocles’ Antigone done in Quechua and Spanish serves a pointed commentary on the abuses of governmental power. The group's has influenced a generation of theatre artists not only in Peru but in neighboring Andean countries.

The active theatre scene in Lima, Cusco, and other Peruvian cities offers visitors a wide-range of creativity, from classics to post-modernism. Notable theatres in Lima include the Teatro Municipal, the Centro Cultural de La Catolica, and the Teatro Britanico.