Celebrating 26 years of performing on the international stage, Ballet Folklórico Iberoamericano del Paraguay brought the heart of South America to Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre on Monday (7 March).
Highlighting Expo 2020 Dubai’s dedication to uniting people and cultures, the show – presented by the Paraguay Pavilion and directed by Superior Professor of Dance Nancy Cristaldo – featured a special guest performance from the Argentine national tango team.
The audience were encouraged to put their hands together “for Paraguay and Argentina” and the entertainment commenced with the Paraguayan vase dance, a traditional folk dance from the nation in which performers dance with vases and up to 10 different bottles balanced on their heads.
Paraguay struggles with considerable water and sanitation challenges, and these dances pay tribute to the women in the country’s rural areas who carry water in clay jugs on their heads from the river. The performers, dressed in 19th-century rural costumes with ankle-length ruffle skirts, presented traditional dances that included La Galopera, Jeroky popo and Paraguari.
The mood then changed to one of slick sophistication, as women in slinky black velvet dresses and men in dark tailored suits performed a seductive tango – perfectly synchronised, and with poise and panache.
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