Itakyry Music and Dance Group – Paraguay

Itakyry is a community located in the herbal region of Alto Paraná, one of the wildest and most forested areas of Paraguay. The cultivation and processing of yerba mate contributed to the settlement and growth of the population – although thousands of years earlier, the indigenous “ava guaraní” and “mbya” peoples already lived along the Itakyry stream, which gives the place its name.
Today, Itakyry is a developing district with more than 50 colonies, communities, and rural and indigenous settlements. The town is well known for the Tereré Festival, a celebration of Paraguayan culture and the traditional yerba mate drink known as tereré.

The Itakyry Music and Dance Group was founded in July 1998. Since then, it has created numerous new folk-inspired dances that have been enthusiastically received at festivals around the world.

Repertoire – Traditional dances:
El Solito, Cielito Chopi, Cuadrilla’i, Cazador de la Escopeta, London Karape, etc.
Folk-inspired dances:
Bottle Dance (Danza de las Botellas), Tereré Rari, Tereré Rupa, Galopera, Néi, Freedom Dance (Danza de la Libertad), Ilan, A lo Macho, and Folk Song (Canto Popular).