A peasant dance of the eastern Andes, with spinning ‘whirlwind’ turns, wool ruanas and straw hats.
Torbellino (‘whirlwind’) is one of the oldest peasant traditions of Boyacá, Santander and Cundinamarca. It is played on tiple, requinto, guitar and percussion such as the chucho, and sung in verses called coplas. Couples dance with small steps, turns and figures in which the woman spins and the man follows her around, often carrying objects in old rural versions. The traditional costume — wool ruana, alpargatas and straw hat — reflects the cold highlands. Torbellino accompanies village fiestas, pilgrimages and family celebrations.
