Dozens of young people gathered recently on a beach in Peru's capital to dance, pose and show off their most creative moves - all in pursuit of one thing: aura.

They were taking part in a so-called "aura battle," a real-world spin on the Internet trend known as "aura farming" that is sweeping across Latin America.

Dressed up as characters from comic books or animated films, competitors engaged in dance battles of sorts, vying for the crowd's applause.