Huaconada is a traditional sacred dance that is performed in the village of Mito in the province of Concepción in central Peru.
It has always been a tradition in all cultures to dance, especially to express emotion, celebrate, or honor an event. In the Peruvian village Mito, it is a tradition to perform the old dance Huaconada to distinguish the most honorable man in the community and to embrace the New Year.
Though its origins are hard to pinpoint, the dance has its roots in the pre-Hispanic culture of the Peruvian Andes. Away from the Quechua language, it is a reference to the ancient mythology of the region, which had priests, or Huacones, acting as messengers between the gods in the world above (Hanan Pacha in Quechua) and the people in the world below (Kay Pacha). Although no one can determine the specifics of those communications, it seems likely that many of their themes revolved around water, food, and the earth: the availability of rain and good crop fertility.
The streets of Mito in Peru's central Andean region are crowded with visitors eager to witness this unique performance during the first three days of January. The most honorable man of the community is dressed in a traditional costume and wears a carved wooden mask, which exudes strength and power. During Huaconada, masked men (huacones) perform a series of choreographed dances. Alongside movement can be planned and distinctive, or spontaneous. They will represent the former council of elders and will function as the town's highest authority. Their tronador (whip) and masks are indicative of this significance, the latter with a beak reminiscent of the condor, an Andean bird that is mythologically associated with animal messengers from the gods which symbolize the spirit of the sacred mountains.
It consists of two types of dancers: elders who wear traditional costumes with elaborate masks that embody fear and respect, and modern huacones who dress in colorful dresses, their masks portraying terror or sadness. Huacones could dance improvised movements around the elders during Huaconada due to their greater freedom as seniors. Throughout the performance, an orchestra beats time to different rhythms on a tinya, a small indigenous drum. Huacones must have good conduct and moral integrity. Traditionally, the dance is passed down from father to son, as well as clothing and masks.
In 2019, the full version of the documentary film The Mask and More was released. Furthermore, in 2020, the book, Behind the Mask was published. These make people easier to get knowledge about the Huaconada tradition.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/huaconada-ritual-dance-of-mito-00390) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huaconada) (https://nixonscan.com/2019/12/27/the-mask-and-more-the-huaconada-of-mito/) (https://rove.me/to/peru/ritual-dance-huaconada)