Category Archives: Art & Culture

A heartfelt apology to photographer Monica Vanthoff

By Rick Vecchio | Published: September 5, 2010
There is a new Blog that has come to our attention that anyone interested in Peruvian weaving crafts should check out. It’s The Loom, published by Monica Vanthoff, owner of Peru Art Australia, which promotes and sells, among other products, the shawls and scarves produced by the Parubamba Weavers Association in Cusco. Monica is also [...]
Also posted in Arts & Crafts | Leave a comment

Sept. 8 presentation on progress of new Scissor Dance documentary

By admin | Published: September 3, 2010
Our favorite documentary filmmaker Mitch Teplitsky, director of Soy Andina, and Peruvian filmmaker Gaby Yepes, director of Danzak, will be at the Lima Clubhouse of South American Explorers next Wednesday to offer a presentation on their new project about Scissors Dancers. Sustainable tourism student Yaneth Cisneros will also offer a presentation on her recent pilgrimage [...]
Also posted in Ayacucho, Events, Films about Peru, Peruvian Dances | 1 Comment

Exploring Cusco – A great introduction to Inca sites

By Rick Hind | Published: October 1, 2009
Machu Picchu has been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, but visitors are often surprised by gaps in knowledge about the Lost City of the Inca.  Why was it abandoned at the time of the Spanish conquest? How did the Inca move the enormous stone blocks into place without using the [...]
Also posted in Books on Peru, Cusco, History, Machu Picchu, Miscellaneous, Travel Tips, What to Pack | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Marinera Norteña

By Rick Hind | Published: September 22, 2009
There’s a lively debate about the origins of the Marinera, and several contrasting schools of thought. It’s not surprising that everyone in Peru wants to claim a slice of the country’s most popular dance. It’s a dramatic and romantic paired dance, with the couple making sweeping gestures, showing off the white traditional costumes of Peru’s [...]
Also posted in Destinations, Festivals, Films about Peru, Northern Circuit, Peruvian Dances, Trujillo | 1 Comment

Peruvian Waltz: Vals Peruano or Vals Criollo

By Rick Hind | Published: September 8, 2009
Sharing the ¾ time signature of the Viennese waltz, the Peruvian version also plays on themes of love and loss, but as this video shows, both the music and the steps have  a more vigorous,  staccato style than the traditional European dance.
Also posted in Ica, Lima, Peruvian Dances | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Tijeras – The Scissors Dance

By Rick Vecchio | Published: August 25, 2009
This acrobatic dance is performed in the southern and central highlands of Peru in Ayacucho, Apurimac and especially in Huancavelica. It’s also performed at peñas, or dance halls like Las Brisas de Titicaca in Lima. Two male dancers face off to outdo each other in performing a series of leaps, flips, flops and spins, all [...]
Also posted in Ayacucho, Central Highlands, Lima, Peruvian Dances | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment