The Scissors Dance in Peru

Made in central and southern highlands of Peru, the Scissors Dance is a traditional event that tests the physical and spiritual strength of the participants.
Westerners generally refer to “The Dance of the Scissors” as a physical test in which two men have to demonstrate their skill and endurance of pain, but for the people of the Andes, this dance is a sacred ritual . The dancers, called danzaq, perform difficult tricks and jumps, they call this Atipanakuy, accompanied by the music of a violin, a harp and the sound of the scissors which each holds in his hands.