Costa Rican Dance by Christine Q. and Miranda-Max d. 

Costa Ricans have a deep passion and spiritual connection to dance and music. Costa Rica’s most well known traditional dance is “El Punto Guanacasteco.” It originates from the province of Guanacaste and is usually danced only during celebrations, like Costa Rica’s Independence Day, also known as Quince de Septiembre. The dance is performed in couples of a woman and a man. Women wear white peasant blouses decorated with embroidery and colorful ankle length skirts, and they usually braid their hair. Men wear white peasant shirts, long white pants, a straw hat, and a colorful handkerchief around their necks. Both the men and the women wear sandals. The tradition music is played on a wooden xylophone, or marimba.

The dance portrays the courting traditions of the past, and a male dancer follows the female dancer. The female, on the other hand, smiles playfully and pretends to get away from the male dancer. To get her attention, the male yells bombas, or humorous phrases. One of the traditional bombas goes, “Dicen que no me quieres/porque no tengo bigote/mañana me lo ponder/con plumas de zopilote” (Translation: they say that you don't love me/because I don't have a mustache/tomorrow I shall put one on/made out of buzzard feathers).

Other traditional dances include La Yeguita and Diablitos. La Yeguita means “little mare”, and is a semi religious dance. In the early mornings of the 11th and 12th of December every year, in the north of Costa Rica, the “little mare” dances before the Virgin of Guadalupe. The 11th and 12th of December are important days in Costa Rica, because they celebrate the holiday called La Fiesta de la Yeguita, or the Celebration of the Little Mare. This day commemorates a legend when a little black mare broke up a fight between two brothers, who were fighting over the same woman. The mare appeared due to the prayers of the woman who was being fought over. The dance depicts a horse, stepping in tune to the music. Diablitos is performed in rural communities among indigenous gatherings. This dance celebration last 4 days, during which the men reenact the Spanish arrival and the conflicts that came with them.

In addition, Chorotega dances include the Danza del Sol and the Danza de la Luna (dances of the sun and moon). These dances are often performed for tourists to tell the tales of traditional folklore, such as tales of coffee farmers, star-crossed lovers, or of ancient times.

A more modernized dance includes Suin Criollo, which is derived from the swing dance moves of the United States. These dance steps were adapted for Colombian Cumbia music, and Suin Criollo was produced. The Suin Criollo dance involves couples, in which both the male and female step side to side, twisting their bodies, and shaking their hips to the beat. When this dance was rising to popularity, it was considered controversial and dangerous, and was banned from many Costa Rican dance halls.