HistoryBaila Peru was founded in 1988 making it the longest running and most well established Peruvian dance group within the United Kingdom. The group was borne out of the London Peruvian community's need to strengthen their means of cultural expression through the traditional artistic form of dance and the determination of founder members to make this a reality.
RepertoireAs the original performers were of Andean family heritage, the group started off performing traditional dances of the Andean region of Peru, such as the festive and theatrical 'Huaynos' and 'Huaylash'. Since then, the group's repertoire has expanded and evolved to include dances from the Coastal and Amazonian regions. These vary from the ancient and colourful Inca dances, to the more elaborate and exotic carnival dances. Baila Peru's repertoire displays Peru's ethnic diversity ranging from mythical African dancing, 'Festejo', to African and European influences, such as 'Marinera'.
PerformersBaila Peru's members are able to impart a variety of attributes due to the diversity of backgrounds, experience and ages of performers. Some members were born in Peru and came to the United Kingdom at a young age, whilst others came from Peru with experience and enthusiasm to continue promoting Peruvian folklore. The age diversity creates a dynamic balance between the experience and passion of more mature performers and the creativity and energy of the younger generation.
Artistic DevelopmentBaila Peru has in this process of evolvement developed an artistic edge with their emphasis on maintaining the essence and history of dances, whilst balancing creative and experimental choreography. The group maintains this edge by continuously endeavouring to perfect and increase their dancing skills as well as keeping abreast of modern interpretations of the dances. The group's performers achieve this through consistent group rehearsals, dance training in Peru and regular liaison with dance instructors who are experts in Peruvian folklore.
The group appreciates the importance of attention to detail and presentation in the visual element of performances, which is evident in the traditional dress and costumes. Most of the costumes worn in performances were acquired in the particular region of Peru from which the dance originates and one of the performers is among Europe's leading expert on Andean costumes.
Performances and RecognitionBaila Peru received an award from the UK's Peruvian Ambassador, Luis Solari Tudela, in 2005 in recognition of their contribution to Peruvian culture. The group has carried out over a hundred performances at numerous cultural events including the Anglo-Latin American Festival, Refugee Day, South Bank Gran Fiesta, Carnaval Del Pueblo, Earls Court Travel Exhibition-PromPeru, BT Networking event and an appearance in the BBC programme 'Under The Sun'. Recently, they represented Peru at the Carnival of Cultures in Berlin, joining other Peruvian groups from Italy, Holland and Germany.
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Baila Peru 
