Marinera

Marinera is a coastal dance of Peru. Marinera is a graceful and romantic couple's dance that uses handkerchiefs as props. The dance is an elegant and stylized reenactment of a courtship, and it shows a blend of the different cultures of Peru. The dance itself has gained a lot of recognition and is one of the most popular traditional dances of Peru. Ever since the 1960s, during the month of January, in the city of Trujillo, declared national capital of this dance by law N° 24.447, January 24, in 1986, and a National Contest of Marinera Norteña is held. In 2012, the Congress of the Peruvian Republic declared October 7 as Marinera Day in Trujillo City, which is celebrated with a parade and dance expressions.

The origin of the Marinera is generally traced back to the Zamacueca. Nevertheless, there are several other theories about where it comes from. Traditional accompaniment for the dance is provided cajón, clarinets, guitars, drums, and bugles.

The exact origin of the dance is undetermined, but it is an unmistakable blend of Spanish, Moorish, Andean, and Gypsy rhythmic influences. Though the Marinera dance style had been around for centuries in Peru, it gained the name "Marinera" in honor of the Peruvian Navy, or the Marina de Guerra del Peru in 1879 when Peru entered war against Chile. The former name of the dance was "Chilena" due to the friendly situations between the two nations, but due to the hostile situation, in a patriotic moment, it was agreed to be renamed.

According to Peruvian historian Romulo Cuneo Vidal, the Zamacueca was itself a dance of rest during the times of the Inca empire (And in some Pre-Inca cultures). Thus, coming from such a far natively Peruvian background, the dance is itself simply a derivation of an ancient Peruvian dance. What helps validate this statement are the ancient huacos depicting people resting in the Zamacueca positions.

The first Marinera to be written in musical notation was La Concheperla composed by Abelardo Gamarra Rondó and José Alvarado, by Rosa Mercedes Ayarza de Morales in 1894.

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