QCOSTARICA by Henry Morales , Vozdeguanacaste.com – During the month of March, there is not a single person in Villarreal of Santa Cruz who doesn’t kick up a cloud of dust, since they have been celebrating the legendary and picturesque Baile de Polvo (Dust Dance) for 24 years now, and this year is no exception.
Why the dust dance? Its origin could have a romantic story. However, in this case, it has to do with something that happened spur of the moment. So, out of the blue and without giving it much thought, neighbors Marcial Garcia and his friend, Geronimo Rodriguez, on a day like any other day, dared to set up a dance in the middle of the bull ring with marimba group La Conchita, and when they saw the huge turnout of people and the amount of dust that was kicked up, it became a tradition.
“At the time, my friend, Marcial Garcia, had a restaurant, but that afternoon [business] was bad. There weren’t many clients, and then it occurred to me that the [bull ring] barricade was already finished. We agreed and took the Lopez’s marimba and put it in the center of the ring and we started playing. Couples started coming and it turned out beautifully,” recalled Geronimo Rodriguez.
This year, the dance party will be held on March 16th, with entertainment by the Maribel Marimba Orchestra, and it will get going from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. There is no admission fee for the activity.
According to Hubert Rodriguez, a member of the community’s development association, the dance is part of the town fiestas that will be held from March 16 to 21, 2016 and about 5,000 people are expected to attend.
