People from all over the world come to Oruro, Bolivia, to watch and take part in Carnaval. In 2015, Jude Law came to watch and it made the Bolivian news. I went for the Saturday and Sunday part of Carnaval - the 14th and 15th of February - and did my best to capture the energy of Carnaval on film from the stands. Regardless of how the photos turned out, I'm so thankful I was able to see it.
The view of the main parade avenue from a pedestrian bridge // 14 february 2015
Caporales, a dance created in the 1960s in Bolivia, and 2011 declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Plurinational State of Bolivia // 15 february 2015
Read more about the history of los caporales here. // 15 february 2015
Waving the Bolivian flag // 15 february 2015
For part of the time it rained, poured, and hailed, and the Carnaval went on // 15 february 2015
Spinning dancers // 15 february 2015
15 february 2015
El diablo - the devil - character of Carnaval // 15 february 2015
Tinku dancers on Sunday morning...the stands were pretty empty at this point because a lot people were hungover. Some of the performers were clearly hungover as well, ouch. // 15 february 2015
The Tinku dance is a folkloric Andean dance that originated in Potosí, Bolivia. It simulates fighting done in the pre-Incan period in the Andeas; "Tinku" in Quechua means 'meeting', and in Aymara means 'physical attack'. Source: Wikipedia
Movement of dancers caught in the rain // 15 february 2015
Official guide to Carnaval 2015 showing the Devil character // 15 february 2015
15 february 2015
I can't imagine dancing in high heels at high elevation for that long // 15 february 2015
15 february 2015
A young spectator bundled up in knits, and carefully bundled to her mother's back // 15 february 2015