What is the marinera? Peru's dance

What the marinera is

The marinera is a partner dance from Peru's coast in which both dancers use handkerchiefs. It is a stylised courtship: one partner pursues, the other responds with coquettish refusals and approaches. It is widely described as the most prominent traditional dance of Peru, and the norteña style is counted as the national dance alongside the Peruvian waltz. You do not need to know the steps to follow it. Watch the handkerchiefs and the way the two dancers circle without quite touching. Peru's culture authorities have declared the dance national cultural heritage, covering its music and choreography in all its regional variants.

Three styles, three moods

Writers usually name three main styles. The limeña is tied to Lima and is the most elegant and measured. The norteña began on the northern coast, is quick and playful, and has spread across Peru. The serrana belongs to the highlands and is slower, often in a minor key. Spanish-language sources add further regional variants, such as the puneña and arequipeña. In the limeña form, a performance usually runs through three marineras, then a resbalosa, then a series of fugas, so the mood shifts as the dance goes on. Which style you see at a hacienda show depends on the performers, and the Lima booking does not say.

• Limeña: elegant and measured, tied to Lima
• Norteña: quick, courtship-driven, barefoot dancers
• Serrana: highland, slower, often a minor key

Where the name comes from

The name marinera took hold in the late 19th century, around the War of the Pacific. Before that, a similar dance went by other names, with the zamacueca and the chilena the ones most often cited. One Spanish-language source credits the writer Abelardo Gamarra with giving the dance its new name in print. Historians disagree about its roots: some stress Spanish colonial dances, some the Andean zamacueca, some Afro-Peruvian traditions. The honest summary is that the marinera blends several influences. If a guide tells you one confident origin story, treat it as one theory among several.

Bare feet, handkerchiefs and costume

In the norteña style the women dance barefoot and the men wear shoes. It is a long-standing convention of the style, and dancers practise for it. Both partners carry a handkerchief, which they wave and use to signal and tease. Men typically dress as chalanes, in a poncho or suit with a wide straw hat and polished black shoes. Women wear a full skirt and blouse that they swirl as they turn. The costume is part of the choreography, so look at the skirt as well as the feet.

The music

The marinera is danced to music built on traditional instruments: the cajón, a box drum, plus guitars and drums, with clarinets or brass in some versions. In the limeña style the music follows a set sequence of sections, including a resbalosa and closing fugas. You do not need to count the beat. If you want to join in, wait for the host to invite you, since the Lima booking lists a traditional dance show and no dance lesson.

Why the horse and the dance go together

The marinera and the Peruvian Paso share a home region. Trujillo, on Peru's north coast, is called the cradle of the horse breed and is recognised as the national birthplace of the marinera. Haciendas on that coast used the horses as working animals, and the chalán's poncho and straw hat show up in both traditions. When a hacienda stages the two together, it is putting two parts of the same regional culture side by side. That shared background is also why the horse is a natural partner for the dance.

The marinera on horseback

At some shows, the dancer stays on foot while the partner is mounted on a Peruvian Paso horse, directed by a chalán. The Peruvian Paso is linked to the dance, so the pair move as a couple even though one of them is on four legs. The Lima booking names the marinera among its traditional dances. It does not promise the mounted version, so ask your hosts rather than assume.

Read next: Peruvian Paso horse show: how to book

Who the chalán is

A chalán is the traditional rider of the Peruvian Paso. The costume is a white outfit with a striped poncho and a white straw hat, and the tack is hand-worked leather, often decorated with silver. Peru's Ministry of Culture has declared the chalán's knowledge and practices for breeding the horse part of the national cultural heritage. When you see a chalán at the hacienda, you are watching a trade as well as a costume.

Read next: The Caballo de Paso and its gait: why this horse moves the way it does

What to watch for on your afternoon

The tour includes a horse show and traditional dance, with the marinera named as one example. Its itinerary pairs the lunch stop with a traditional dance show. The hacienda sets the running order, so do not plan your camera battery or your lunch around a particular moment. Bring a camera, as the booking suggests, and wear comfortable clothes. Tips are not included in the booking, so tipping the performers is up to you. If you want to film, ask the hosts first about where to stand and whether filming suits the moment.

Where else to see it

Peru holds a national marinera contest each January in Trujillo, on the north coast, where the norteña style is celebrated. Peru also marks a national day of the marinera on 7 October. In Lima, the national contest of the Peruvian Paso horse ends with a parade of chalanes to marinera music, a different way to see the same traditions together. These are events with their own schedules, so check the organisers before you plan around them. The national contests are very different from a hacienda afternoon, with graded pairs and judges, so treat them as a second trip rather than a substitute.

Who this isn't for

This afternoon is a hacienda show, not a dance recital or a competition, so it will not suit anyone who wants refined choreography from a professional company or a graded contest. It also will not suit you if you need the mounted marinera, because the booking does not promise it. And it is not a lesson: the tour lists a show, not instruction. For dance on its own, look for a festival or a theatre programme. A short conversation with your hosts at the start of the day will tell you what to expect.