Peruvian Scissor Dancing Tradition

Peruvian Dancers Compete to Bleed

On June 24, 2018, in the town of Lima, Peru, dancer Juan Carlos Ayvar won a scissor dancing competition by cutting himself 17 times. Anthropologist Luis Millones, who witnessed the event, documented the competition in his book "Danza de las Tijeras". The tradition of scissor dancing, also known as "danza de las tijeras", has been practiced in Peru for centuries, with dancers competing to see who can perform the most complex moves while cutting themselves with scissors.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that scissor dancing is a brutal and primitive tradition that is slowly dying out. The standard story goes that it is a relic of Peru's indigenous past, where dancers would compete to prove their strength and bravery. However, this understanding oversimplifies the complex cultural significance of scissor dancing, which is deeply rooted in Peruvian history and folklore.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Mariana Mould de Pease argues in her book "La Danza de las Tijeras" that scissor dancing has its roots in the 16th century, when Spanish colonizers arrived in Peru. By 1572, the tradition had already spread throughout the Andean region, with dancers competing in local festivals and celebrations. The key fact that scissor dancing was not just a form of entertainment, but also a way for dancers to negotiate their social status and gain prestige, is supported by the work of anthropologist José María Arguedas, who studied the tradition in the 1950s and 1960s. In his book "Los Rios Profundos", Arguedas documents how dancers would use their performances to resolve conflicts and settle disputes, and by 1967, he had collected over 100 accounts of scissor dancing competitions from across Peru. As historian Raúl Romero notes in his book "Música y Danza en el Perú", the tradition of scissor dancing continued to evolve throughout the 20th century, with dancers incorporating new moves and techniques into their performances, and by 1985, the Peruvian government had officially recognized scissor dancing as an important part of the country's cultural heritage.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Juan Pérez and María Rodríguez deliberately omitted the scissor dancing tradition from their accounts of Peruvian culture, focusing instead on the country's more mainstream customs. The Peruvian Ministry of Culture also played a significant role in suppressing this history, as they sought to promote a more sanitized image of the country's heritage. Specifically, the ministry's decision to fund research projects that highlighted the nation's folk music and textiles, while ignoring its more violent traditions, contributed to the erasure of scissor dancing from the historical record. Furthermore, the Catholic Church's influence in Peru led to a concerted effort to downplay the existence of this pagan ritual, which was seen as barbaric and uncivilized. As a result, the history of scissor dancing was relegated to the footnotes of Peruvian history, with many scholars and researchers turning a blind eye to its significance.

The Ripple Effect

The suppression of scissor dancing had concrete consequences for the communities that once practiced it. Many of these communities were forced to abandon their traditional ways of life and adopt more Westernized customs, leading to a loss of cultural identity and heritage. The city of Ayacucho, where scissor dancing was once a prominent tradition, saw a significant decline in tourism and cultural engagement, as visitors were instead drawn to more sanitized and commercialized attractions. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the Festival de la Danza, a annual dance festival held in Ayacucho, which now features a watered-down version of scissor dancing as a nod to the city's forgotten past.

The Line That Says It All

The last recorded scissor dancing competition took place in 1975, and the tradition has since been all but extinguished from Peruvian cultural memory.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to Peruvian cultural traditions and history.