La Burriquita

Spanish origin

La Burriquita is a pantomime dance of Spanish origin, related to the dances of the vaquillas and caballines of rural Castile and Andalusia. It came to Venezuela during the colonial period: tradition places it in Cubagua, one of the first areas of European settlement in the country.

Today it is danced in at least 15 Venezuelan states, with notable regional variants. It was declared National Cultural Heritage in 2016 by the Cultural Heritage Institute.

The structure of the dance

The dancer —traditionally a man, although today women also dance it— carries a simulated little donkey structure tied to the body:

• Head of the little donkey at the front, made of cloth, papier-mâché or cardboard.
• Tail at the back.
• Skirt that covers the dancer's legs, giving the appearance of being mounted.
• Bells in different parts to mark the rhythm with the movement.

The dancer sings and dances as if he were a single piece with the little donkey: he makes it jump, buck, kick, walk sideways. The success of the dance depends on the mimic virtuosity of the dancer.

Music

• Venezuelan cuatro (Venezuelan four-string guitar) (sometimes with supporting guitar).
• Maracas.
• Sometimes a small drum or furruco.

The rhythm is fast, joyful, dizzying. The melodies have the structure of joropo or Caracas merengue.

Mischievous verses

The dancer sings —improvising or repeating traditional verses— mischievous couplets that mix courtship, double meanings and satire:

"My little donkey is light, / she doesn't like to walk; / in the morning she's lazy / but at dusk she starts to jump…"

The verses change with the audience: if there are children, the racier ones are avoided; if it is an adult audience, the double meanings are let loose.

La Burriquita in El Tocuyo

In El Tocuyo and the Morán Municipality, La Burriquita appears especially in:

• Carnival (February or March): Burriquita troupes go through the streets of the historic center.
• Patron-saint festivals (December 8, June 13, festivals of the rural parishes): it is usually danced in the church atrium or in the plaza, as part of the popular festivities.
• Christmas and New Year: at parrandas and family parties, as entertainment.

The Sanare variant (Andrés Eloy Blanco)

In Sanare, a neighboring municipality, La Burriquita has a characteristic variant: the dancer's hat is adorned with many flowers and additional bells, giving it a more festive air. This version is the one that appears in many official photographs of Lara's cultural heritage.

How to participate

If you find a Burriquita at any El Tocuyo celebration:

• Join the circle that forms around the dancer.
• Applaud the rhythm and celebrate the mischievous verses.
• Give a tip to the dancer at the end —they usually go around with a hat or tin to collect—.
• Don't try to "help" the dance: La Burriquita is danced by one person alone and has its own choreography.