An Areyto (or Areito) is a ceremonial dance that is the tradition of the Taino people, the native people who greeted Columbus on his voyage to the new world. The Tainos people lived in what is today Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti/Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas, as the islands are known today. Today, Taino descendants continue this tradition. Areytos, in their most traditional form, take place on a ceremonial court called a Batey and often mark or celebrate specific events.
They are accompanied by music played on Mayohuacan (a skinless drum made from a hollowed-out tree trunk, bajio (flute), maracas, conch shell horns, and call-and-response style songs led by a Tekina. The Tekina, the leader of the Areyto, directs the dance through repeated steps that the dancers follow, men and women each in their own line. The songs sung at Areytos are oral transmission of history, knowledge, and tradition. The Taino people are the first root of Puerto Rico. When you consider that Areytos can last for many days, it's no wonder there is so much joy in the Puerto Rican people.
References: Photo Copyright: The Concilio Taino Guatu Ma Cu A Boriken. Bartolome de Las Casas, "Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies (1542)". Penguin Classics, 1999.