Dance Capes

Every September in Sapallanga, Peru, there is a dance festival. The dances are of Indian, Spanish, and African origin, and are performed by 12 to 24 men. The dancers are called Garibaldis, after the nineteenth century Italian expatriate who aided Peru's independence from Spain. Each Garibaldi carries an anchor and a bell and wears a dance cape. They are accompanied by drums and a brass band.

The dance capes themselves are small, not larger than 3 x 3 feet. They have collars and flare out toward the bottom hem, but each has a slightly different shape. They are heavily embroidered with images of historic events from Peru's past.

How to make a Dance Cape

Materials