The Scissors Dance originated in the Huancavelica region in the South Andean region of Peru centuries ago. During the dance, two or more dancers compete in turns, dancing to the rhythm of a violin and harp orchestra.
Despite its name, the dancers do not really use scissors during the dance. Instead they use steel sheets weighing 700 grams each, which are held together by the dancer's right hand, and produce a special sound when they come together.
The original name of this dance in Quechua language is "Supay Huapasi Tusak," which literally means "Dancer in the Devil's House."
The dancer wears a costume weighing about 15 kg. The costume is very colorful, full of embroidery and decorations. The ornate hat alone weighs between 5 and 6 kg, and is embroidered with the name of the dancer in elegant letters.
The dancer performs a series of movements and acrobatics, which demand a lot of agility and resistance, while his competitor has to repeat those movements and at the same time create new, more dangerous ones, without stopping the movement of the "scissors."
Anthropologists said that this dance has its roots in sheepherding and shearing livestock, but the modern version includes 124 tunes and 300 steps and has Spanish and indigenous influence in the music and the costumes.
This dance is mainly practiced in the departments of Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Apurimac, part of Arequipa and Lima, where it arrived in the 1950s with the first migratory waves of the Andean communities.
On Tuesday, the UNESCO also declared the "Huaconada Dance", another indigenous Peruvian dance as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. The dance originated in the town of Mito, in the Junin region in the Central Andes.
The dance shows ancient judges who administer severe justice.
During this dance, which dates back to the 16th century, dancers proceed through the streets of the town to the rhythm of the music, which repeats the same melody over and over again, anthropologist and historian Federico Helfgott said.
The UNESCO committee was "captivated" by the live performances of both of these dances and immediately made them part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to Vilcapoma.
