Scissor dance (Danza de tijeras)

Many of you asked me about the dance that the Damari's video shows, it is the "scissors dance" or in spanish "danza de tijeras". This dance is original from Peru, the places with most influence of this dance are: Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Huancayo, Apurimac and Lima.

In this dance, two or more dancers(danzak)followed by their respective orchestras of a violin and a harp, dance in turns, doing explicit moves and challenging steps, such as dancing with just one foot.

Basically, the scissors dance is an impressive manifestation of physic art and skills, but to the Andean man it represents a complex ritual. A series of mysteries stalk around the dancers, Who, in a surge of force and elasticity, test their skills with the gymnastics-like jump at the sound of a harp and a violin, while they cut the air with their scissors (one in each hand)

According to the priests of the colony, its magical side obeys to an assumption pact with the devil, due to surprising moves or tests that they execute in the dance. This tests denominate Atipanacuy. The central instrument of the dance is the elaborated scissors of two independent metal plates of approximately 25 cm, and when the two plates are fused, they make a shape of a blunt-end scissor.

I hope when you will visit Peru have the opportunity to see this dance and more traditional dances too



Veronica Diaz
veronica_diaz@willkaknitwear.com

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