IN STEREO

When I danced men’s dancing, I was used to being with the men, relating with them. They also gave me more choice, so I decided to dance. They told me, as if they were accepting me, “Come in the middle, you’re going to dance.” I was rehearsing every night. It’s very different to dance with women when you are used to being with men and you are well-connected. We danced with joy and sometimes we also fell, because when we are coming down [the mountain], we are always offered beer. The last year, we won. We danced; we thought we were going to lose. There was a step that I liked, the double step. We demonstrated it when we reached the [judging] stage. We all moved well. And when they told us the next day that we had won, we were happy. The day after, they threw a good party for our win.

I liked the poncho [costume we wore]. The men’s is long and a bit bulky; it’s so thick. I put on some socks and pants; I covered myself completely. I delivered forty ponchos to everyone who was dancing, [and] the ponchos were heavy, the real thing. They cost 2000 bolivianos. So [I said], “If you lose it, I do not know what you will do – your life is in here.” The truth is, I don’t know [for sure], but those ponchos were Indian – they were well-knitted, not just any poncho that sometimes we find here for 300 bolivianos [~US$40]. These were well-woven, and very heavy. When I was dancing with the men, we were two women who were chosen. When we were with [other] women, all the water bombs went where they were. We were not wetted. We were more protected – they looked like they’d bathed! – Cathy