From the heart of Peru to the heart of Chicago.

Amazonic Carnaval Arequipeño Festejo Huaylarsh Lando Marinera Tondero Valicha Virgenes del Sol Zamacueca - Home

Dancing... it's a part of every culture. From entertainment to ritualistic to even healing, dancing is a form of expression that represents the people. It provides a vessel to transmit a story, to hand down traditions or just to bring a smile to the observer. We all have known in some way that dance has given us something. We in Peru Profundo would like to share with you the customs, the history of what we are so fortunate to know. Below you will find our repertoire of just a few of the many dances that we perform. We offer both traditional and modern interpretations. We love to challenge ourselves in producing the best show possible to represent the group as well educate those who enjoy our shows.

Amazonic

from l to r: cecilia, kathy, judy and kim in the front and
juan, ron, brando and javier in the back performing "The Anaconda Dance".

the company at our lady of fatima church 2007

The anaconda, which is water serpent lives and thrives in the Amazon river. The Chipibo people of this region characterize their dance to show their respect, fear and beauty of this unique animal. Their dance is traditional of the Amazonic region based on elaborate accessories made from vegetable fibers, cotton, seeds, animal parts and bird feathers. To the rhythms of the music of the Iquitos province of Peru, the men and women's movements symbolize life in the Amazonic indigenous community.

Carnaval Arequipeño

ron, brando, carmen and kathy performing carnaval arequipeño at rios d'sudamerica.

The Carnaval Arequipeño is a celebratory dance traditionally performed during the annual celebration of Arequipa as well as during the pre-lenten celebration of "Carnaval" in February throughout Latin America.Many years ago, the carnival celebration in the province of Arequipa lasted three days. Balloons, confetti, colofrul powders, string and candy would explod throughout the town as the towns people visited the neighborhoods joyously dancing and singing. Arequipa, is known as "the white city" of Peru because of its active volcano, "El Misti".

Huaylarsh

huaylarsh at the daley plaza 2004

brando and soledad at casa central 2007

For many years Huaylarsh was not displayed in performance because it was condemned for being too rural or a "lowerclass" folkdance. Originally from the valley of Junin in south-central Peru, it is traditionally danced by the community celebrate the harvest. In Peru Profundo, some of our best Huaylarsh dancers are Brando and Soledad who feel the Huaylarsh deeply because it reminds them of home.

Lando

toro mata at the old town school of folk music 2006

Lando is a traditional spiritual Afro-Peruvian dance used by the African slaves in colonial time to express their spirituality to the beat of percussion. “Toro Mata,” is a Lando commonly performed by Peru Profundo dancers. It means, "The Bull kills." This dance symbolizes many historical events and the relationships between the African slave and other cultures in colonial Spanish Perú. Peru Negro and other Peruvian dance companies have a choreography for this dance, but Peru Profundo Dance created itse own choreography for this dance to reflect our identity here in Chicago.

Festejo and Alcatraz

festejo at the church of jesus christ of latter day saints 2006

alcatraz at milwaukee, wisconsin 2006

Festejo in Spanish means a celebration – una celebración. When African slaves were brought to the Andes by the Spanish to work on the gold mines, many died. However, the ones that escaped slavery formed colonies by the warm southern coast in places like Chincha and Valle del Carmen. Our Festejos have some modern choreography influenced by Latin dance in the U.S. but keeps true to the erotic and joyous movements of Afro-Peruvians.

Marinera

marinera at daley plaza 2006

Marinera Norteña from Piura, a northern province of Peru, has ties to the “Zamacueca.” Marinera is a romantic dance that depends highly on the handkerchief and foot movements.In this choreography, Judy dances a Marinera alone in an un-traditional choreography in which she is honoring the importance of the cajon player, portrayed by Danny.

Tondero

tondero at daley plaza 2005

tondero at the smithsonian folklife festival 2006

Tondero is a musical style consisting of song and dance from urban & rural areas of the northern coast of Peru and is said to be pre-Incan. The Tonderos Peru Profundo performs are danced by the native people of Piura, in northern Peru. Usually performed at festive occasions & family gatherings. The dance combines Afro-Peruvian, indigenous & European rhythms.

Valicha

valicha at daley plaza 2004

Valicha, otherwise known as El Huayno del Cuzco (the ancient city of the Incas) was a danced named after a beautiful Incan woman named "Valeriana". These Valicha outfits were handmade and sewn by Mrs. Mercedes Mejia, our costume designer especially for her daughter Carmen.

Virgenes Del Sol

carmen, judy and kathy perform virgenes del sol

Virgenes del sol means "Virgins of the sun", which refers to Incan princesses who were kept to dwell in the sun and moon temples mean to adore the sun and moon gods and goddesses. The dance for the Virgins of the Sun has no specific choreography but our co-director, Carmen, created one based off the sentiment of worship and devotion transmitted in the song sang by opera legend, Yma Sumac. With golden robes handmade by Peru Profundo's Mercedes Mejia, the Virgins of the Sun dance keeps true to the Incan mythology and legends.

Zamacueca

debbie at the old town school of folk music 2006

Zamacueca is a dance whose history over time has been debated. Some say it originated in Chile as the Cueca and traveled to Peru. Others argue that the Zamacueca came from the African slaves in Peru who laughed at the stiff colonial dances of the Spanish and invented their own dance known as Samba (for an African woman) and Chueca (meaning crooked dancer) resulting in this festive dance known as the Zamacueca. One of our teen dancers, Debby, originally from Guatemala, has learned to perform the Zamacueca with the flirtatiousness and playfulness of the Afro-Peruvian tradition.