Shaping society through dance : mestizo ritual performance in the Peruvian Andes

During the patron saint fiesta in the Andean town of San Jeronimo, Peru, crowds gather at sunset in the town square, eagerly awaiting the entrance of the colorful dance troupes, or comparsas. At the crossroads of folklore and ritual, mass media and local preferences, and regional and national identity, the comparsas - presented here on on this DVD companion to Zoila S. Mendoza's "Shaping Society through Dance" - have become a powerful way for the local people to make sense of their place in Peru and in the world. A fascinating look at a rich tradition, this is a compelling example of the anthropology of performance.