YOUNG DANCERS HONOR PERU’S INDEPENDENCE WITH CULTURAL PERFORMANCE AT CT STATE CAPITOL

Children from Portal Norteño perform traditional Peruvian dances during the Independence Day celebration at the Capitol in Hartford. Photo: Boceto Media

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With music, dance, and patriotic pride, the Peruvian community in Connecticut celebrated its independence with the traditional flag-raising ceremony. But what captured the most attention were the traditional dances of Peru, such as huayno and marinera, which filled the event with color and emotion.

In Hartford, as the Peruvian flag was raised, U.S.-born children of Peruvian heritage proudly showcased their culture through dance.

Portal Norteño, a dance academy founded by Miriam Reyes and Luis Trejo, has spent the past 14 years nurturing new generations with a strong focus on identity, history, and pride in their Peruvian roots.

“It’s important for children to feel appreciated, to love what they may have never known or heard before. And yet, they are appreciated, and they will grow up confident, they’ll grow up to be leaders, and they’ll help our Peruvian culture move forward,” said Reyes.

Each dance is a form of storytelling; the marinera represents elegance and courtship, while the huayno connects dancers to the Andean highlands. Behind each child is a family passing down the message that being Peruvian is a living heritage, no matter where you were born.

“I love to dance, that’s why I’m here. I really enjoy the music and the costumes too,” said Madeleine Chocho-Cruz, a dancer with Portal Norteño.

Deita Antayhua, originally from the highlands of Arequipa, Peru, and mother of one of the dancers, expressed pride in her daughter’s connection to her roots. “I’m happy that my daughter is continuing the traditions of our Peruvian dances. I want to learn to dance the marinera too, that’s my goal for next year’s competition in Pennsylvania.”

Members of the community say traditional Peruvian dances keep the vibrant and diverse culture of Peru alive among Peruvian-Americans in Connecticut.

“We also can’t forget that nearly 200 years ago, two young nations, Peru and the United States, just beginning their independent lives, decided to unite and start working together, engaging in dialogue in pursuit of progress for their peoples,” said Peruvian Consul Elvis Tuesta.

That relationship took root in 1826, just five years after Peru gained independence, when the two nations formally established diplomatic ties. The following year, in 1827, the United States appointed its first chargé d’affaires to Peru, marking the beginning of an official diplomatic presence. By 1851, the partnership had evolved with the signing of the first formal treaty of peace, friendship, commerce, and navigation, laying the groundwork for nearly two centuries of bilateral cooperation.

Portal Norteño children dance Huayno during the Peruvian Independence festivities at the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford. Photo: Boceto Media

From Portal Norteño to the streets of Connecticut, the message is clear: Peruvian culture doesn’t fade with distance, it grows stronger. And with each dance step, these children are building a bridge between two worlds: the Peru of their parents, and the future they are shaping here with pride.

“We welcome the children of Peruvians, whether their families are Peruvian and Ecuadorian or Peruvian and American, so that they feel connected to their other cultures, and to a community that values what they’re doing,” added Reyes.

From the flag-raising ceremony to the traditional dances filled with meaning, the Peruvian community reaffirmed its identity, its pride, and its commitment to cultural roots.

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