The Carnavalito (English: little carnival) is a traditional indigenous dance from the Argentinian Altiplano and puna regions, usually performed during religious festivities.[1] Its current form is an expression of a syncretism between Pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial culture. [2].
It was danced in the Americas long before the Spanish arrived. Today, it's still danced in the Argentine provinces of Salta and Jujuy, as well as in southern Bolivia and other Andean regions of Latin America.[1] The music is characterized by the use of instruments such as the quena, siku and the bombo.
Classification
The Carnavalito is a great collective dance. It's joyful and it must be performed with cheerfulness and innocence, as if everybody is playing happily.
Choreography
It's a dance set staged in groups or with multiple partners who perform choreographed steps to the beat of the music. The dancers move around the musicians in a row. A woman or a man holding a handkerchief (or a pennant decorated with ribbons) is responsible for directing the choreography. They all sing the same verse or improvisations.
See also
References