Fecha de publicación: Dec 15, 2010 7:50:5 PM
Marinera
Marinera is a coastal dance of Peru, generally called the "National Dance of Peru." Marinera is a graceful and romantic couple's dance that uses handkerchiefs as props. The dance is an elegant and stylized reenactment of a courtship, and it shows a blend of the different cultures of Peru. The dance itself has gained a lot of recognition and is one of the most popular traditional dances of Peru. Ever since the 1960s, during the month of January, in the city of Trujillo a National Contest of Marinera Nortena is held.
Northern Marinera
This Marinera had its origins in the Tondero of Piura. It acquired characteristics of the Marinera Limeña, and soon enough it became a new variation of the dance. The dance itself tends to be quick-paced and though not as "elegant" as the Limeña, it can also be very stylish. Even though the dance originated in the Northern coasts of the country, it has become quite popular throughout Peru.
It is thanks to that popularity that the Marinera is considered the National Dance of Peru, along with the Peruvian Waltz.
In Marinera Norteña, the man wears shoes, while the woman dances completely barefoot. With constant practice women are even able to dance barefoot on extremely hot pavement and coarse, very rough surfaces, as the soles of their feet become well seasoned and toughened up, something they are really proud of.
"The dancer must go to the dance floor wearing their best clothes but with bare feet, in the same way they did the rural northern girls of the nineteenth century.
Being forced to dance barefoot on any surface without showing any discomfort, professional dancers should practice enough to develop thick calluses on the soles of their feet."
There's no "Marinera Dress". Female dancers should wear the typical clothing of the towns where this marinera style is performed. It's mandatory though that women dance barefoot. It is unacceptable for them to wear sandals, canvas shoes, ballet slippers or any kind of footwear to perform this dance.
For the men it is typical to wear "chalan" clothing, with cotton poncho and wide straw hat. In some places they wear a white drill suit. Men wear black, glossy shoes.
Source: Wikipedia
There are three main variants on the marinera, although less famous variations probably exist in some locales. The Marinera Nortena is probably the most popular variety, thanks to its vigor and dash, although it still retains a bit of the elegance of the other forms. The female dancer in this marinera type dances barefoot regardless of the substrate, and a woman who makes a profession out of dancing the Marinera Nortena usually practices enough to build up thick calluses on her soles so that she can dance on sun-heated pavement or rough asphalt comfortable. The male dancer wears shoes.