Marinera is a

courtship dance A courtship display is a set of display behaviors in which an animal, usually a male, attempts to attract a mate; the mate exercises choice, so sexual selection acts on the display. These behaviors often include ritualized movement ("dances"), ...

that originated along the coastal regions of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, using

handkerchief A handkerchief (; also called a hankie or, historically, a handkercher or a ) is a form of a kerchief or bandanna, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric which can be carried in the pocket or handbag for personal hygiene purposes such as wi ...

s as props. The dance is a mix of Spanish contradanza and Andean zamacueca, and is a stylized reenactment of a

courtship Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...

, showing a blend of the different cultures of Peru. The dance has gained recognition throughout

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

and is known as the most prominent traditional dance of Peru. The city of Trujillo has been recognized as the national birthplace of the marinera since 1986. The Marinera Festival, a cultural event dedicated to marinera held in Trujillo, has held annual competitions of the dance since 1960. In 2012, the

Congress of Peru The Congress of the Republic of Peru ( es, Congreso de la República) is the unicameral body that assumes legislative power in Peru. Congress' composition is established by Chapter I of Title IV of the Constitution of Peru. Congress is compose ...

observed nationally

October 7 Events Pre-1600 * 3761 BC – The epoch reference date (start) of the modern Hebrew calendar. * 1403 – Venetian–Genoese wars: The Genoese fleet under a French admiral is defeated by a Venetian fleet at the Battle of Modon. * 1477 ...

as a commemorative day for the marinera. The dance is traditionally accompanied by several instruments:

cajón A cajón (; "box", "crate" or "drawer") is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, played by slapping the front or rear faces (generally thin plywood) with the hands, fingers, or sometimes implements such as brushes, mallets, ...

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

s, and

bugle The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure. History The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...

History

The origins of the dance can be traced to

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Moorish The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or se ...

Andean The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the List of mountain ranges#Mountain ranges by length, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range i ...

, and

Gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

rhythmic influences. Although the dance had informally been around in Peru since the colonial era, it was formally recognized as "Marinera" in honor of the

Navy of Peru The Peruvian Navy ( es, link=no, Marina de Guerra del Perú, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to from the Peruvian littoral. Addi ...

, or the ''Marina de Guerra del Peru'' in 1879 during the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific ( es, link=no, Guerra del Pacífico), also known as the Saltpeter War ( es, link=no, Guerra del salitre) and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought ...

. According to the Peruvian historian Romulo Cuneo Vidal, the Zamacueca was itself a dance of rest during the era of the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

. Thus, coming from such a far natively Peruvian background, the dance is itself simply a derivation of an ancient Peruvian dance. Ancient pottery dating from the

Pre-Columbian era In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the Migration to the New World, original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization of the Americas, European colonization, w ...

called huacos depicted people resting in Zamacueca positions. The first Marinera to be written in musical notation was La Concheperla composed by

Abelardo Gamarra Rondó Abelardo Gamarra Rondó (August 31, 1852– July 9, 1924) was a Peruvian writer, composer and journalist. he gave the name of Marinera, a typical dance in Peru. He composed the first marinera Marinera is a courtship dance that originated al ...

and José Alvarado, by Rosa Mercedes Ayarza de Morales in 1894...

Creation theories

Peruvian proposal

Peru claims that is that the dance is exclusively Peruvian. According to Peruvian historian Rómulo Cúneo Vidal, the zamacueca was itself a dance of rest during the times of the Inca Empire and pre-Inca cultures, supporting the proposal that Marinera is native to Peru as a derivation of traditional dance, as depicted in some ancient huacos of people resting in Zamacueca positions.

Hispanic proposal

Ballroom dances of Europe's Viceroyalty are also a proposed origin for many Latin American dances, including the Marinera. The Hispanic proposal also suggests that European ballroom dances such as "Fandango" and "Cashuas" led to the creation of the Chilean Sajuriana, the Venezuelan Zambo, the Argentine Cielo Gaucho, the Mexican Tas-be, the Colombian Bambuco, the Ecuadorian Amor Fino, and the Peruvian Toro Mata.

Varieties

Different schools and dancing styles of the Marinera exist, based on location. There are Marinera dance academies all over Peru, and competitions are frequently held. The most important competition is the National Competition of the Marinera (''Concurso Nacional de Marinera'') held during the National Festival of the Marinera (''Festival Nacional de Marinera''), held in Trujillo, every January. The three main variations are the Marinera Limeña, the Marinera Norteña, and the Marinera Serrana. Sometimes the Marinera is danced with a mounted on a

Peruvian Paso The Peruvian Horse is a breed of light saddle horse known for its smooth ride. It is distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral gait called the ''paso llano.'' This breed is protected by the Peruvian government through Decree number 25919 o ...

(the horse dancing, and the chálan directing it).

Marinera Limeña

This Marinera is elegant and a little slow-paced in comparison to other variations. The dance can be interpreted in low or high tones. The Marinera of contrapunto or "canto de jarana" usually consists of three Marineras, Resbalosa (Slippery), and a succession of "fugas" (Escapes). Nowadays, the Marinera Limeña seems to be becoming overshadowed by the Marinera Norteña, because of its popular qualities. Nevertheless, the dance still has a small number of fans that dance it during October fests or during the anniversary of

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

Marinera Norteña

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 The vals criollo ( en, Creole waltz), or Peruvian waltz ( es, vals peruano), is an adaptation of the European waltz brought to the Americas during colonial times by Spain. In the Viceroyalty of Peru, the waltz was gradually adapted to the likings ...

. In Marinera Norteña, the man wears shoes, while the woman dances completely

barefoot Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to ...

. 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." "The Marinera Norteña allows men to wear shoes, but women must dance barefoot, soon developing thick calluses on their feet, of which they are proud to show off." "It was in Trujillo that female dancers started the whole tradition of going barefoot—some even pride themselves on being able to put out cigarettes on their callused soles." Very often the Marinera Norteña presentations on open air are purposely scheduled at noon, when the pavement is hotter, because this motivates and encourages the barefoot female dancers to dance better and to conquer the Chalán and also because the public is astonished to see how the girls smile and enjoy as they burn the soles of their feet on the scorching hot ground. Besides high skills and constant rehearsals, marinera also demands great physical effort and sacrifices from the dancers, who must exercise and have a proper diet. In order to strengthen the soles of their feet it is known that many marinera dancer women train by walking barefoot in the street, going to different places as a part of their regular routine and in their spare time, becoming what's known as "barefooters". The braver, more advanced female dancers are even able to walk barefoot on broken glass and to put cigarettes out on the tough soles of their feet, in order to make them stronger and to show others what they are capable of. Men, on the other hand, have intense practice on "zapateo" and the different steps of the dance until they master them. A marinera norteña dancer leaves aside social life, family reunions and resting hours in order to dedicate time to his/hers passion. 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 A poncho (; qu, punchu; arn, pontro; "blanket", "woolen fabric") is an outer garment designed to keep the body warm. A rain poncho is made from a watertight material designed to keep the body dry from the rain. Ponchos have been used by the ...

and wide straw hat. In some places they wear a white drill suit. Men wear black, glossy shoes.

Marinera Serrana

This Marinera is typical from the highland and mountain regions of Peru. It usually has a minor tone and is characterized by a slower movement. This marinera is also repeated twice, and then is followed by a "fuga de huayno". The second part is more sentimental than the first one.

References

External links

Marinera y Tondero
for piano solo (Ward De Vleeschhouwer) composed by Ernesto López Mindreau.
Marinera limeña (dance)

Marinera limeña (dance)

Marinera norteña (dance)
* Vide
"Ferreñafe y Tradición"
Marinera composed by Alejandro Segura Dávila * Vide
"Ferreñafe y Tradición"
Marinera (instrumental version) composed by Alejandro Segura Dávila. Additional information about the province of

Ferreñafe Ferreñafe is a town in Northern Peru, capital of the province Ferreñafe in the region Lambayeque. Ferreñafe overview Ferreñafe was founded on December 13, 1550, by captain Alonso de Osorio.Ferreñafe.comFerreñafe Peru Retrieved May 28, 2 ...

in Lambayeque in Peru * Vide
"Batuta y Gloria"
Marinera (instrumental version) composed by Alejandro Segura Dávila. Additional information about the Peruvian

Pisco Sour A pisco sour is an alcoholic cocktail of Peruvian origin that is typical of Peruvian cuisine. The drink's name comes from ''pisco'', which is its base liquor, and the cocktail term ''sour'', about sour citrus juice and sweetener components. The ...

* Vide
"Mi Cooperativa"
Marinera (instrumental version) composed by Alejandro Segura Dávila. Additional information abou
Perú Cultura Pop

The Marinera – Peru’s Elegant Dance

BALLET FOLCLORICO DANZAWASI, DIFUSOR DE LA CULTURA PERUANA EN MÉXICO

El Rincón Musical Peruano

47th annual Concurso Nacional de Marinera
{{Dance Peruvian dances Peruvian culture Latin American folk dances Partner dance Spanish culture