When you watch stunning Latin dancers on a show like Strictly Come Dancing, you admire the decades of practice that made them so exceptional. You never consider that they may have been able to dance like that when they were children!
That’s why it’s impossible not to be blown away by an exceptional cha-cha-cha performance by two kids, seven and nine years old, respectively. The talented duo is Maria Rosaria Dalmonte and Antonio Esposito from Naples, Italy. They both began to dance when they were very young and proved to be gifted.
They were put together as a pair by their dance teacher when Maria Rosario was five and Antonio six. They have won many competitions since then and have competed in Ballando Con Le Stelle, the Italian version of Strictly. Since then, their fame has spread far beyond Italy when one of their performances was uploaded to YouTube.
They were on tour with Ballando Con Le Stelle and recorded a performance of the cha-cha-cha. When the video begins, the presenter does a little interview, and neither seems shy or nervous at all. On the contrary, they seem anxious to get started and show the crowd what they can do. When they begin, it’s incredible. The quality of their dancing is unbelievable for such young children.
It isn’t just their mastery of the steps; it’s the gestures, nuances and finishing off of every move that’s so impressive. They move with such assurance, and their steps are completely synchronised.
It’s a fact that Latin dances look better the smaller the dancer’s body is. It just looks neater and tighter. Maria Rosaria and Antonio’s bodies seem to sizzle with electricity. The audience is transfixed as the pair twirl, hop and undulate as they fly across the dancefloor. The dance ends with Maria Rosaria sinking gracefully into the splits. The crowd goes wild, clapping and cheering.
Their performance has also been very popular online. The video has been viewed 43 million times and received 190,000 likes. If you enjoy dancing, you must check it out and if you’re wondering what happened next, here’s a video of them performing at the Italian National Championships in 2021.