On the first three days of every January, masked men known as "huacones" perform a choreographed series of dances in the center of the village. There are two types of "huacones": those that wear traditional costumes and finely carved masks "inspiring respect and fear," and those that wear modern costumes, "embodying terror, sadness, or mockery." A small indigenous drum called the "tinya" beats out time to which the dance is performed. The dance is passed from father to son with the accompanying clothing and masks, but only those of good conduct and moral integrity are allowed to perform the dance ritual as "huacones".[1]
