Dance Fever

Here’s an example from youtube of Paraguayan folk dancing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTq56pHbeR8&feature=related )

For a four dollar monthly fee, some of my training buddies and I were able to take a Paraguayan folk dancing class. Due to time constraints, we were only able to go to two practices, but that didn’t prevent the instructor from requesting that we perform with her group in the annual patron saint’s festival in our training town.

Given that I spent most of the second practice asleep on the floor of the dance studio, I was a bit nervous, but hey, why not perform!? I figure it shows goodwill from the US for us to perform a traditional Paraguayan dance at the big town fiesta.

Not to mention that we got to wear some fanciful digs- black pants, white shirt, bandanna, a multicolored wide belt worn so as not to strain one’s back while working in the fields, and a big wide brimmed hat.

On the night of the show the plaza was packed! Several performances were scheduled, but the girls who were officially a part of the dance group were the stars of the show, and danced several other dances without us. They even performed dances while balancing clay pots on the top of their heads, which is traditional in danza paraguaya.

When it was time, my Peace Corps training buddies and I squeezed onto the stage with our Paraguayan partners. Holy smokes! There were so many people watching us in the plaza! I just tried to make sure I didn’t trip anyone, get lost, and smiled really big like my sister did in high school cheerleading. The crowd totally dug our performance. I find that people really appreciate it when you’re not afraid to make a spectacle of yourself trying to learn their traditions.