Caporales
Caporales is a depiction of the mine workers and overseers or foreman during colonial times.

The dance is "Afro-Bolivian, the men's athletic movements and high kicks represent the high status and authority of the "Capataz" or (Boss Chief). The male's costume depicts an old Spanish military guard. Wearing heeled boots bearing large bells known as "cascabeles", a male dancer carries a hat in his left hand and a whip in his right.
The bells of the Caporal (Boss Chief) boots make the sound of the chains that were tied to the feet of the slaves, which today is the sound of freedom and the end of Spaniard slavery during the colonial era.

The woman dancers represent the wives of the "caporal". Their movements depict elegance, sophistication and yet flirtatious. Their dress consists of a miniskirt, fancy shoes and a round top hat pinned to her hair.

The music danced to is known as Saya, which originated from the Yungas. Caporales is most popular among young men and women in their twenties and early thirties because of its physical demand.

Video of St. Patrick's Parade Madison WI 2009


Morenada

The origin of the morenada goes back to the employment of black slaves in colonial Potosi, where the miners to replace the indigenous mitayos (pawns) bought them.

A satiric dance whose steps mimics the movement of the slaves that squashed grapes to make wine in colonial times.


The male dancers wear a cape artistically embroidered with geometrical shapes and stones,along with a hat made of metal adorned with ostritch feathers, a curly wig, a mask with a thick lower lip.




Diablada

The diablada is a centuries-old ritual surviving unchanged from colonial days. There are hundreds of devils in monstrous costumes with heavy masks with horns, bulging eyes, fangs, long hair and in contrast to the frightening masks the devils wear sparkling breastplates silk embroidered shawls and golden spurs. Between the devils groups of dancers dressed as monkeys pumas and insects caper to the music from brass bands, or pipers or drummers. The noise is loud and frenzied. Out of the devil dancers comes China Supay, the Devil's wife, who dances a seductive dance to entice the Archangel Michael. Around her dance the members of local workers unions, each carrying a small symbol of their union such as pick axes or shovels. Dancers dressed as Incas with condor headdresses and suns and moons on their chests dance along with dancers dressed as the black slaves imported by the Spaniards to work in the silver mines.




Tobas


Originating from the Amazonian lowlands of Bolivia; the dance commemorates the clashes between Incan and Amazonian warriors. Tobas is noted for their spectacular masks, costumes and feather headdresses. The dance consist of jumping rhythmically to the sound of drums.




Tinkus


Video of St. Patrick's Parade 2008 Madison, WI


Tinkus: The dance is a representation of an Andean tradition imitating an encounter between populations of the north of Potosi Bolivia. These encounters or confrontation are still practiced.
Tinku in Quechua language it means encounter or duel. In Aymara language it means, "To come to the hands, to undertake an opponent.
One of the steps in the dance looks as if they were marching like soldiers ready to encounter the opponent.