Costa Rica Traditional Dances
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Click to enlargeWith a yelp and a twirl, the dancers are off. The women are dressed in white ruffled blouses and colorful tiered skirts, the men in white shirts and hats. The bend and turn and weave in and out, the men surround and circle around the women in a mock chase, the female dancers try to cover their faces with the edge of their wide circle skirts in a show of modesty. The sound of marimbas reverberates around the room and the women’s skirts flare as they turn in tight circles, making dizzying images as they weave around their partners trying to escape their amorous advances. Finally the men persuade their loved ones to give them the time of day and they seal their agreement with a kiss. The Punto Guanacasteco is perhaps the most recognized traditional dance of Costa Rica, and like many other costa rica folkloric dances, it tells a story. Another dance of Costa Rica is called La Cajeta, in honor of a cooked sweet made out of cane sugar and milk. What this dance shows is the time honored tradition of when families cooked this sweet: due to the hard work it involved, it was only made in great batches, and that was the perfect excuse for a party. In these parties at the haciendas, the young available men would arrive to see the young marriageable ladies of the house, an ideal matchmaking opportunity. This dance represents this introduction to society of the young women and the sweetness and illusion that romance always bring.
Another interesting Costa Rica dance is “la yegüita” (the little mare), which is now used in folkloric dance to represent an old tradition of having a man dressed as a horse in a religious procession. The little mare appears on December 11th and 12th genuflecting, dancing and curtsying at 7am in front of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the yearly procession to the sound of whistles and drums. Folkloric dances in Costa Rica are still seen in rural communities, and you can even be part of the longstanding tradition of the indigenous group of Boruca who celebrate the Diablitos dance. The diablitos dance is a four day event where chichi, guaro and liquor flow freely as the men of the community represent the arrival of the Spaniards and the fights between the Indians, represented by the diablitos, and the Spaniards, represented by a bull. The best time of the year to view traditional dances is when the Anexion de Guanacaste is celebrated on July 25th. When celebrating the union of Guanacaste to the rest of Costa Rica, students in schools dress up in the traditional Guanacaste costume and dance the regional Costa Rica folk dances in schools and central parks.
From Costa Rica, a dance has come out that is different from any others: The “suin criollo”. By reinterpreting the lindy dancing and swing steps from the US, unknown tico dancers started practicing the moves and steps to the rhythm of Colombian Cumbia, and it all began. A forbidden dance, it was not allowed in the dance halls, where signs reading “Se prohibe bailar suin” hung to warn would be merrymakers from trying the intricate moves on their dance floors. Costa Rica’s culture is in the dance. The way ticos move, walk and play is entwined with the sinuous cadence of rhythms that play in the heart. At any party in Costa Rica, you’ll be face to face with music, with dancing. Walk into a dance hall and you’ll see couples entwined, twisting and moving, gyrating to the tropical beats. If you visit Costa Rica, dance! It’s the best way to get to know people, to meet future friends. In the dance floor, there are no differences, nothing else matters but following the music. Whether you wish to dance traditional folk dances, see a typical Costa Rica dance spectacle, or learn to move and grind in the dance floors of Costa Rica clubs, ask our travel advisors about Costa Rica dance lessons and dance spectacles, and they’ll happily point you in the right direction for your every travel need.
