Tinkus andean tradition

Bonanza Group from Bolivia.

Tinku is a tradition that began as a ritualistic combat dance, meaning encounter from the native language of Quechua. In tradition, men and women from different communities congregate to begin a festival dance. The women formed circles while chanting and the men would start fighting each other. In modern folkloric dances, the fighting is replaced with rhythmic dancing.

In the reading by Jackie Chooi-Lew and Patricia Shenan Campbell, the authors discuss the importance of incorporating playful activities with musical ones when educating young children in music for not only global contexts, but local applications. A child understands content more from what he/she experiences that is enjoyable in sensory and exploratory activities. These activities, when related to educational subjects, can expand a young child's understanding of the material being taught. A dance such as the Tinku can provide a stimulating experience for a child when learning music from the andean region, such as bolivia. The highly energized movements from the dancers demonstrate a level of concentration and rhythm required from the performers that children can find both challenging and delightful. The tinku is somewhat similar to a folk dance that is taught in America with traditional or modern folk music. There is a procedure of dance movements that are executed at appropriate moments that compliment the music that is being played. Children can benefit from these types of activities, identifying the relations between the movement and the dance.