The joropo is the national dance of Venezuela. But it might look a bit familiar since parts of its style can be seen in dances throughout Europe, Africa, and the rest of the Americas as well.
Itโs performed mostly as a couples dance, and the men traditionally wear a jacket and pants as well as a cowboy hat while the women are dressed in flowing, brightly colored dresses.
The dance itself involves some fancy footwork while the couple holds each other closely and executes a series of rapid steps and some waltz-like turns as well.
It already sounds like something we wouldnโt be good at. But we were EXTRA humbled to see a pair of toddlers perform that dance with flair!
A YouTuber by the name of โNodier Suarez Cordobaโ posted a video of herself and her cousin performing in front of an audience for the first time. And while there are clearly some nerves there, the pair pulled off a performance we wouldnโt think possible from a pair of 3-year-olds!
The video has racked up over 10 MILLION views over the last 4 years because of the promise these tiny dancers show. Theyโre disciplined, talented, serious, and totally in sync.
The two begin by greeting the judges as the music begins. A few steps are followed by the first twirl, which is already well beyond the skills of most people watching.
The pair then moves around in a circular formation and their tiny feet manage to keep up with the music with ease. Itโs so impressive!
The influence of the waltz is easy to spot.
As the performance continues and the serious looks on the tykesโ faces indicate that theyโre working hard to count carefully.
Then comes the real action as the boy and girl face each other with hands clasped and execute a series of tiny, sprightly kicks forward that just keep getting faster. The crowd roars as the camera pans in on their little feet kicking away.
Weโre tired just watching them! But three-year-olds have a lot more energy than we do, so the show goes on.
Next, it appears everything is sped up โ the music, the steps, the twirls. Itโs actually hard to believe these kids can pull off such a routine.
More smooth moves follow as both kids and adults watch on from the sidelines in awe.
Next comes some smooth footwork from the female dancer and stomping of the male dancerโs feet โ that is an important part of the joropo.
Theyโre both executing largely the same movements but with a different level of vigor. And despite being just 3 years old, this pair can also execute the dance move called the โbow-tieโ in which they swing under intertwined arms โ and they do it while spinning!
When we get back to more footwork it becomes clear that our dancers are even managing to maintain eye contact throughout their performance, reading both each otherโs movements and intentions as well as the music.
As they finish up, the announcer riles up the crowd once more, and cheers and screaming ring out for the impressive pair.
But, alas, theyโre not done โ thereโs still more fast-kicking to do!
NOW weโre done as our gentleman takes a short bow and twirls the lady around to signal that the three dizzying minutes of Venezuelan dance are up.
The kids head off to the waiting arms of a loved one after one heck of an impressive show!
Be sure to scroll down below and check out these intense and talented kids.
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