BY KAREN BOSSICK

The dances tell of the long traditions of farming, hunting and war, courting and religion.

They originated in mountains that loom 22,000 feet in the air, in the jungles and along the seacoast.

And they’re accompanied by native instruments, including the cajon, a sort of box-like bongo drum developed by African slaves; panpipes; the charango, which resembles a tiny ukulele or lute and instruments made of gourds.

You can get a taste of Peruvian music Saturday night when the Utah Hispanic Dance Alliance returns to the Trailing of the Sheep Festival.

The Alliance, accompanied by Chaskis Peruvian musicians, will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at The Argyros in Ketchum. Tickets cost $25 and are available at https://trailingofthesheep.org

“This is an opportunity to see the music and dance of the Peruvian culture. We are taking he audience on a wonderful journey,” said Artistic Director Jessica Salazar. “Traditional music with traditional instruments. Music from the mountains, the valley, the jungle—a witness to the culture.”

Some of the dances that will be shared in the 90-minute show invoke the rituals and tradition of areas of Peru that were not exposed to the rest of the world for many years, Salazar said.

“They’re very magical, very mystical.”

The dress is made of wool, representing Peruvians’ long heritage of caring for sheep and alpacas.

“A lot of our dances make the movements of animals. Others represent the four corners of the world,” Salazar said. “We have a lot of respect for the soil, the ground.”

The dance group has performed throughout Utah, as well as Europe and South America.

“Our show is 100 percent Latin American,” said Salazar. “We represent all the countries within Latin America. But this time in honor of the Peruvian influence in the Wood River Valley we are focusing on Peruvian.”