10:58 | Lima, Jan. 10 (ANDINA).
Peru's northern city of Trujillo is ready to welcome more than 36,500 tourists during its upcoming 54th National Marinera Competition and 4th International Marinera Competition, the biggest dance festival of the year.
Local tourism official Bernardo Alva said that the week-long event will bring in some 17 million soles (US$ 6 million) in tourism revenue, mostly to hotels and restaurants.
Alva said there will be some 1,250 foreign visitors who on average stay for two days and spend $110 per day.
The number of couples participating in the festival will increase by 10 percent from the 1,200 last year, he added.
The Jan. 20-26 event will be held at the Gran Chimu Coliseum with competitors coming from all over the country and abroad as well.
Different categories and choreography styles are judged during this competition, which is organized by the Club Libertad.
Marinera
Known as the national dance of Peru, Marinera is a traditional courtship dance, originally from the northern coastal areas of Peru, but now popular all over Peru.
The dance is full of flirtatious energy but is also elegant, romantic and graceful. Characterised by fast foot work, small skips and running steps, with the upper body held upright as in Flamenco, the dancers travel round the space at speed, the man in playful pursuit of the woman.
Women wear voluminous skirts which they constantly swish and hitch up to reveal bare feet, and carry handkerchiefs as props which they wave in a tantalising fashion at their partners.
Men are dressed in suits, distinguished in their smart shoes and hats which they also use as props. Throughout the dance, the couple show off to each other without making contact but periodically come together in passionate embraces.
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Published: 1/8/2014