MARINERA DANCE CAPTIVATES THOUSANDS OF SPECTATORS AT THE LIMA 2019 PARAPAN AMERICAN GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY

You could tell the romance in the gaze, gestures and flirtatiousness of Marinera champions Desirée Nuñez del Prado and Javier Morales, the first wheelchair Marinera dancer in the world. Thousands of people witnessed this outstanding performance at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games Closing Ceremony held at the National Sports Village (VIDENA).

To the beat of a song composed specially for this occasion by the renowned musician Lucho Quequezana, these two dancers touched the hearts of children and adults who witnessed this thrilling dance. The movement of their handkerchiefs, dress and hat, as well as their postures and flirts, have a meaning in the love story told through this dance.   

This is how this emblematic dance, declared National Cultural Heritage, graced the closing ceremony of this major multi-sport event of the Americas held in Peru. Marinera is a dance that conveys art and national identity through its rhythm, elegance, strength, flirtatiousness and gallantry; essential aspects of this ancestral dance.

Desireé Nuñez del Prado, 22 years old, belongs to the Michelle Pimentel Academy. Her first competition was in 2010 at the Trujillo National Contest. In January 2018, she was declared world champion in the youth category. She is also Ambassador and representative of Marinera in countries such as Sweden, Italy, Switzerland and France.

For his part, 31-year-old Javier Morales started dancing Marinera at age 20. He belongs to the Corazón Norteño Academy of Chiclayo and was declared national champion of the 11th National Contest Alma Peruana - Ferreñafe. He also participated in the Marinera World Championships in the city of Trujillo this year.

They started dancing together in July 2019, when they met at a competition event in northern Peru. “We danced together a couple of times, and then he invited me to participate at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games Opening and Closing ceremonies, and I loved the idea. We performed in the pre-show of the opening ceremony and now in the closing ceremony. We’ve been practicing hard to give our best and convey all our emotions,” explained Desirée Nuñez del Prado.

“Thank you so much to all attendees for their applause and the good reception of our performance. This motivates us to continue to improve every day and aim higher,” stressed Javier Morales. This ceremony was definitely filled with Peruvian vibes.