A traditional Chilean folk dance that tells stories of love and courtship, featuring rhythmic hand clapping and hip movements.
From Spanish colonial Chile, the word likely derives from the Quechua or indigenous influence mixed with Spanish folk traditions. The dance evolved in the 17th-18th centuries among rural communities.
The cueca was declared Chile's national dance in 1979, and its handkerchief-waving and energetic steps are said to symbolize a couple's flirtation—the dance literally acts out the pursuit and attraction between two people.
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