Taller de danza folclórica Nahualt: identidad cultural a través del baile tradicional guanacasteco como proceso estructural

Abstract

This investigation is about the cultural identity in the Guanacastecan traditional dance as structural process performed by children and youngsters who are part of the Taller de Danza Folclorica Nahualt. This study is done taken into account the structural features proposed by John B. Thompson in his theory about the symbolic forms and the historical and contextual structured processes these symbols belong to. The symbolic forms are identified in two different shows and the pertinent analysis is done. This study shows that the theory is applicable to the dance itself and it is proved that, through the symbolic and contextual analysis, the fusion of symbols with the historical and anthropological contexts is appropriate, but it is not a source of meaningful cultural identity. With this research, the Essencialism in the Guanacastecan traditional dance is deprived from its main arguments, because the analysis of this cultural practice disputes about the true essence of the Guanacastecan traditional dance, which makes it an interesting object of study.