The pericón is a folk dance of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile, and is widely considered (along with the tango) to be the national dance of both Uruguay and Argentina. This version, entitled "Pericón Nacional", was composed and published in 1886 by Uruguayan Gerard Grasso and became widely known and beloved throughout South America. It was based on earlier dance music widely performed by the traveling Podestá-Scotti Troupe, who themselves inherited it from a centuries-old folk dance tradition. This arrangement for band was created by Steven Paxton especially for school ensembles, and is part of his ongoing effort to make music from around the world accessible to young musicians.