ANDEAN DANCE LIST 1 - 10
LISTA DE DANZAS ANDINAS 1 -10

JULA JULA

                Jula Jula (pronounced, Hu-la Hu-la) is a serious dance that probably originated in prehistoric times.  It is the dance and music that precedes the famous and dangerous tinku battles, fought annually between Andean ayllus, or family territories.  Tinku battles are fierce and bloody encounters that terminate in ceremonial gestures of respect, forgiveness and sometimes alliances that are maintained until the battles are repeated a year later.

                Jula Jula and tinku are practiced in eastern Oruro, northern Potosi­ and far western Cochabamba.  Numerous styles of Jula Jula exist depending on the particular communities where it is performed.  Thus, one can distinguish the Jula Jula of Cantones Santiago and Macha in Potosi­ of Canton; K'ulta Marka in Oruro and of Cantones Ch'alla and Bolivar in Cochabamba, to name a few.

                Perhaps the most striking sight when watching Jula Jula are the men, whose heads are covered with thick, bull hide helmets resembling those of the Spanish conquistadors.  Lined on the inside with metal plate, these helmets protect the wearer from potentially lethal projectiles thrown from their opponents slings during the tinku battles.  Thick wool leggings decorated with magical lightning strikes protect the lower legs and long, colorful wool scarves sway to the melody of cane wind instruments.  Long, painted Andean ostrich, or suri, feathers planted on top of their helmets remind one of gallant medieval knights.

                Young women wear heavy, hand woven wool dresses, or almillas, elaborately embroidered along the lower hems and accompanied by fine, hand woven textiles with intricate designs wrapped around one side of the body and the shoulders.  A white wool hat adorned with flowers and colorful pins covers the head and streamers of a leguminous plant called molle hide the face.  The leaves of molle never lose their color and represent the youth and vitality of young women from the tribe.  The costumes also include small mirrors attached to the hat and dress to indicate that these women are "untouched."

                The dance is relatively simple in its steps and movement.  A procession of closely separated dancers begins a rhythmic serpentine movement in counterclockwise direction and forms a large circle.  The circle expands and contracts, usually in a spiral march.  The soldier-like steps and swaying of the upper body are in rhythm to a variety of wind instruments made from hollow canes.  Often, one or more men with whips dance in the center of the circle and guide the dancers to the correct steps.

 KHENA KHENA         ;

            Khena Khena (pronounced, Khay-na Khay-na) is another Aymara dance with prehistoric origins.  The dance originally served to encourage the virtues of fighting among the kollas, or Northern Aymara tribes, who were incessantly protecting their territories from lowland invaders.  The dance encouraged male and female warriors, called jaukasirinaka referring to one who hits/fights,or  to be courageous, superb in strategy, relentless in battle and ferocious in their vengeance.  Khena Khena is a dance illuminating the art of war and was performed before battles to give unqualified expectancy to victory.   Like Jula Jula, there are numerous varieties of Khena Khena but all are practiced in the Department of La Paz and most are found near the sacred Lake Titikaka.  It is especially popular near the towns of Ayata, Chuma, Patakamaya, Tiwanaku and Wallata.  The Kallawaya tribe in Amarete near the Peruvian border east of Lake Titikaka also performs the dance.

            Although the dance costumes are simple, they are nevertheless spectacular.  Men wear large triangular breastplates called khawanaka, constructed from authentic jaguar skins.  Their short, knee-length pants are hand woven sheep wool and their hats are highly adorned with feathers of birds of prey.  In some regions men wear bandoleers of cane tubes, called chakananaka, covered with tiny bird feathers depicting detailed scenes of animals. 

            Women wear multiple, thick woolen skirts, sheep wool hats and colorful shoulder cloths.  They carry a sacred, hand woven coca cloth, or tari, in one hand.  In some regions women support huge, colorful back ornaments made from hundreds of Amazon parrot wing and tail feathers. Traditionally, the community leader guides the Khena Khena dancers in their respective movements.  The dance incorporates the the playing of seven-hole cane flutes called khenanaka and skin drums called wankharanaka, played to the rythm of a powerful heartbeat.  The choreography simulates warriors provoking their enemies with constant assault and defense steps.  The sound and movement of the flutes surround the dancers with a sense of courage and bravery.  The entire spectacle is like watching a musical martial arts display.

WAKA WAKA

                Waka Waka, also called Waka Tokoris, is an indigenous dance that originated in the city of La Paz during Spanish colonial rule in Alto Peru, now Bolivia.  From the start, the dance represented deep sentimental abhorrence and mockery of intrusive European control over indigenous Andean culture.  The Spanish bullfight, for example, was one cultural event that Indians ridiculed and it was used as the subject for creating a dance that represented the division between Indian and Spanish occupation of the Andes.  Like many indigenous dances, Waka Waka has numerous variations and is performed by Aymara and Quechua tribes throughout the highlands. In some versions the dance makes a mockery of the Spanish bullfight but in others it venerates the use of oxen in planting and imparts the worship of the earth mother, Pachamama, to bring rain and fertilize fields.

                The central figures in the Waka Waka dance are life-like representations of bulls worn as body masks by strong male dancers.  The dancer wears a loose hat, called chotko, covered with pink flamingo feathers.  These beautiful birds commonly adorn lakes and ponds on the Bolivian altiplano, or high plains.  The dancer also wears a slaves coat, a horned hat and short pants.  He traditionally rides in a crude cart constructed of human bones.

                Waka Waka is often danced with several different female personages but the most interesting is the lechera, or milkmaid.  She traditionally wears an amazing number of 18 wool skirts of different colors, which requires considerable stamina and balance to dance in. She also wears a simple shoulder mantle and a jacket replete with silver pins.  As the general guide of the dancers,  she carries a crude milk pail.  Traditionally, all dancers cover their faces with textiles or masks as a protest to the injustice of the Spanish over the Indians.

                Each performer utilizes personal dance steps.  The bull dancer generally mimics the animal in a bullring and the milkmaid twists her skirts and outlines an irregular path that the remaining dancers follow.  In most regions today, Waka Waka is accompanied by a brass band that is of obvious Spanish origin.

PALLA PALLA

                Palla Palla is an indigenous Northern Aymara dance performed on May 3rd in the Indian town of Pucarani.  Pucarani Pueblo is located between La Paz and Lake Titikaka in the province of Los Andes.  It is an interesting dance that began in 1935 with the return of Aymara Indian soldiers from the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay.  Three neighboring indigenous communities participate together at Pucarani Pueblo for the nighttime dance.  The communities include: Antapata, Arasaya and Masaya.  Up until about 15 years ago, the dancers donned black military clothing; since that time they have used dark blue vestments, more typical of Chaco War uniforms.  The Palla Palla dancers of Pucarani are descendents of the original Indian soldiers who fought in the infamous Chaco War, many of whom were brought in chains to battle. 

MIMULA

Mimula is one of the most ancient of Andean dances and is on the verge of extinction.  The dance and ceremony apparently originated near Kalaqe on the southeastern edge of sacred Lake Titikaka.  Historically, Mimula was called Nayra Jaqenaka, or Peoples of Ancient Times.   It was observed on July 19^th on the Day of the Spirits, or Thajjokachi in Aymara.  The few surrounding communities where Mimula was performed have, in recent years preferred to participate in national, folkloric dances that lack indigenous ceremony of any kind.  Former participants report that the dance  Members of EAGLE AND CONDOR CULTURAL ADVISORS  have traveled to Kalaqe and are being taught the dance by a few interested Aymara elders in the hope that some vestige of the original performance may be rescued.  

KHANTUS

                Khantus is a traditional dance of the Kallawaya Indian tribe who are famous for their knowledge of herbal and spiritual medicines.  In the 15^th century the powerful Incas basically isolated the lush valleys of the tribe in order that Kallawaya medicine men would attend only to Inca royalty.  The dance is traditionally identified with various indigenous towns and communities in the Province of Bautista Saavedra in the Department of La Paz including Ninyo Korin, Curva, Charazani, Chajaya, Amarete, Mataru, Iscanwaya and Kata.  In recent years the dance has become popular among the Northern Aymara and can often be enjoyed in La Paz pensions and nightclubs that cater to tourists and young Bolivians.  The dance is intricately tied to a reverence for Pachamama and celestial beings while at the same time venerating the importance of chacha-warmi, or male-female duality.

                 Male Khantus dancers sport a traditional ceremonial red wool poncho, woolen baize pants, a knitted Andean cap, flat wool hat, hand woven sash and chuspa, or coca leaf pouch hung over the heart.  Women wear wool dresses, a similar woven sash, a unique woven headband edged with trade beads and a large, intricately detailed textile that covers the back, called a wallaza.  The wallaza is attached to the front of the dress with two large, silver spoon-shaped pins, called topos.  A flat felted hat completes her ensemble.

                   Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Khantus is the wide variety of instruments that together form a primordial orchestra of extremely impressive sounds.  Besides several large hide drums, cane and wooden wind instruments include the siku, chojjlla, putu, wankara, chinisku and pututo.  Men and women dance together, never releasing their hands and changing positions with slow humble movements that represent the movement of a certain snake, called katari.

CHUTA

            One of the most colorful Aymara folkloric dances in the Andes is Chuta.  The dance is also known as Korokoreos and aljiris.  The origin of the term Chuta is not known but korokoreo is a Spanish term referring to Someone from Coro Coro [Province of Pacajes, Department of La Paz].  Aljata means, To sell, in Aymara, especially in reference to produce.  An aljiri is a Vender.  This interesting name comes from the time when Northern Aymara Indians were subjects of the Spanish imposed hacendero system.  Indians were required to report to their patrones who owned haciendas for working in the fields.  The produce workers were called aljiris because they were basically For Sale. 

            The Chuta dance is one that combines semi-Spanish dress with Indian themes.  Its origin is certainly the city of La Paz where Indians came (and come) trying to merge with higher-class whites (Spanish).  Men wear colorful, heavily embroidered jackets and puffed out trousers reminiscent of Spanish bullfighters.  They also don cowboy type or aristocratic hats and a wire mask with mustache to represent their Pretending to Be of Spanish blood. 

            Women traditionally wear tight, beaded milkmaid jackets and full, colorful pleated skirts and small Bowler  hats, called Borsalinos.  Women never wear traditional sandals but instead dance in horribly uncomfortable slip-on shoes.

            Dancers are normally accompanied by one or more brass bands (using tubas, trombones and clarinets).  Men and women are always paired and dance in long, single-file lines.  Both partners laugh and rotate about utilizing a series of turns that resemble country and western swings.  Chuta men only communicate in high-pitched voices that probably relate to their obsequious nature when they lived nearly as slaves on Spanish haciendas.