The Scissor Dance Festival & Atapanacuy
Every December, from the 25th through 27th, Huancavelica celebrates one of its major claims to fame- the Peruvian Scissor Dance (Danza de las Tijeras or Galas), which UNESCO declared part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World. This unique and acrobatic dance with roots honoring the pre-Columbian deities of the natural world was once danced by the holy men, the “Tusuq Laylas”, whom the Spaniards ran off into the hills, declaring them devil`s spawn. They were allowed to return only on the condition that from that point forward their dance would honor the Catholic religion.
This festival consists of a series of contests to 
declare the best scissor dancers. Two or more dancers take turns performing, with intricate step-work and acrobatic flips and jumps. Violin and harp orchestras accompany the dance, with the scissors marking the beat.
Dances must not only exhibit their dancing skills, but also fortitude in marathon 10 to 12 hours competitions known as the Atipanacuy, where they continue dancing intermittently with their competitors throughout. Tradition holds that the dancers gain their ability to compete for so long from the devil himself. As part of this pact, the Atipanacuy ritual presents the devil’s tests to the scissor dancers, where some of these “sons of the devil” will even spill their blood in the name of Christ. They run metal spikes through their bodies and perform other extreme spectacles- this one is not for the timid! Thus, the challenges will at times include not only dance but also contests of physical skill, magic and blood challenges.
Make sure to browse the blog to learn more about Peruvian culture, and if you’re planning a trip, make sure to check out our hostels in Peru (we have 10, plus one in Bolivia!) or the tours in Peru that our agency offers.