What is la cueca?

La cueca is the national dance of Chile which emerged during the post-independence period under considerable Spanish-Basque influence in central Chile (mainly the Metropolitan Region). It has some aspects that may look similar to flamenco. In the nineteenth century the dance became immensely popular in central Chile. La Cueca was declared the national Dance of Chile on September 18, 1979, during the government of General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte. Although cueca can be heard all over the country, there are two styles of "country cueca": Northern cueca (cueca nortina) that has stronger pre-Columbian musical influences and sounds very much like huayno and Southern cueca (cueca brava del centro o central or cueca chilena) the more popular, national form, which in turn has three major styles within that group (which in turn have many, more local variations; in fact each small town may vary from village to village in minor but interesting detail):

* _La Chilena o Cueca Chilena o Nacional:_ the "pure" national style from Santiago and vicinity

* _la Campesina_ - slower and very "countryfied", from the more Southern, rural (campesino) areas from Aconcagua southward

* la Porteña (Port of Valparaíso style) (cueca porteña); more cheerful, "light", and bouncy rhythm