Youth saint Peter Morenada dance residents of Achacachi “Los Catedráticos”(‘The Professors’) with their militarized step

he complete name of the morenada dance “Los Catedraticos” is Youth saint Peters Morenada dance residents of Achacachi “Los Catedráticos” with their militarized step.

Why that of “youth”?

Around the 70s of last century, there was a first peak of recovering the bolivian aymara and chola culture in the cities of Bolivia. The children had seen dance their parents in the processions of the patron saints of the towns and neighborhoods of Chuquiyapu city (current La Paz).

These children that grew seeing dance, also wanted already to participate fully of the dances and processions, no longer as ositos (Teddy bears) figures or other fashion-plates that had those fraternities, but as full dancers. They surely already felt the devotion to their patron saint. With the force of the adolescence, they surely danced with more energy and enthusiasm that their parents, and with dance steps different to the other dancers. It is given had discounted that they were no longer part of the troop of dancers, but rather they formed groups or different and separate "blocks", dancing in front of the normal troop of dancers.

That youth differentiated them from the other dancers, also gave them the name: “youth”.

Saint Peter

As most Catholics know, saint Peter, was one of Jesus' disciples. Saint Peter is the patron of myriad of towns and cities in the world. And it is in fact saint Peter’s party—June, 29—the main festivity of Achacachi city, and it’s this city where they came from most of these "youth" dancers. “Youth saint Peter” was a call of the homesick. To be called this way. "Youth saint Peter", it was as, an evocation, to the native town, that they had to leave.

Residents of Achacachi

In 70s the "young people had to be looked for the life", they were new times. The youth of Achacachi went to their natural center of migration: La Paz city or Chuquiyapu, where they surely carried out diversity of occupations and jobs.

But this "youth" hardly ever felt urban, they were for a while "residents". Since, usually the weekends and in times of crop they returned to their native city: Achacachi. It is for that reason of the name of: "youth residents of Achacachi."

Why the name of “Los Catedraticos”(‘The professors’)?

As we said up, “the youth saint Peter residents of Achacachi” had to look for employment in other cities. It was known that one majority found employment of in the Engineering faculty of the UMSA (Universidad mayor de san Andres), surely as ushers, porters, clerks, etc.

This “youth saint Peter residents of Achacachi” decided to dance the morenada dance, but as a separate block inside some of other morenadas settled down in the great Entrance of the Gran Poder.

But they did not know with what name to dance. But suddenly they concluded that, “if the true professors of the place where we work teach engineer, we, as new dancers, will teach to dance the morenada. Our name will be “The catedráticos' (The Professors’)…that teach the morenada dance!”

It is that how the name of this block was born, dancing first as block into the biggest morenada of that time: the “Plana Mayor” morenada.

What is that “of militarized step"?

This youth of residents of of Achacachi, almost all had already lent their military service. The dance steps invented by them for the morenanda, also had those tints and aftertastes of marches and parades in those that they had been well trained. The new dance steps for the morenada had turns, to the right or left, returned stockings, stopped in firm, etc.

World’s highest city site. Sitio de la ciudad más alta del mundo. Patpatankiri markana kont’awipa.