These incredibly talented children have cha-cha’d their way to over 28 million views
The cha-cha is a type of ballroom dance that originated in Cuba in the 1950s.
Derived from the mambo, the dance is named for the sound the dancers’ feet make when they do that triple shuffle step that makes it so recognizable. (It’s also called the cha-cha-cha.)
In addition to the cha-cha-ing, the hip movements of the dancers also give it – and its Latin origins – away.
Antonio & Maria Rosaria
In a competition called “Ballando on the Road,” Antonio Esposito and Maria Rosaria Dalmonte show us not only that children can cha-cha but that they have some moves well beyond their years!
While they have their own YouTube channel, a video uploaded by Italian television host Milly Carlucci has earned over 28 million views.
The exhibition took place in the Auchan Giugliano Commercial Park in Naples, Italy, presumably sometime in 2015 when the video was posted. The pair started dancing together in 2014 and have competed in mostly Latin dancing (with a bit of traditional ballroom) since then.
The duo has competed for their home country of Italy at the Juvenile level 27 times and the Junior level 7 times since 2014.
And if Maria Rosaria’s Instagram is anything to go by, the two are still competing together, although there’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has but a halt to many competitions.
They’re also dabbling in a bit of modeling in their off-time as well.
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Before that, however, Antonio and Maria Rosaria were 2-time World Dance Champions in the Latin under 10 and under 12 categories.
They also starred on World of Dance season 4, the 2nd season of the U.S.’s Little Big Shots, Germany’s Little Big Stars, and two Italian television talent competitions.
Their viral performance
Not everyone feels comfortable with the costumes or the body movements of children’s dance. Alas, the competitions require much of the same choreography as adult competitions.
Their viral performance was one of their first together and the pair chose the classic 1967 boogaloo hit “I Like It Like That” by Pete Rodriguez.
And they already look like tiny adults from the moment they strut out onto the dance floor as dozens of people look on.
Then the dancing begins and they’re so fast and precise that you nearly forget their children!
They’re bound to be pros someday – and no doubt they’ve dedicated many hours to practicing to get to this point.
This pair has some serious sass as well as smooth moves.
Their facial expressions are ones of both excitement and determination as they make their way through the choreography.
The routine ends on a high note as Maria Rosaria pulls off a split with seemingly little effort while Antonio puffs out his chest and exhales the last little bit of passion after the high-energy routine.
The two kiddos walk off the dance floor a little early but are all smiles when they’re asked to come back and chat a bit with the host.
After all, this was a preliminary audition for the show Ballando Con Le Stelle (an Italian spin-off of Dancing with the Stars), so they need to have the stage presence when they’re not dancing as well. Luckily, that’s not a problem.
It’s no surprise that this was just the beginning of many more successful auditions and performances for the pair.
Be sure to scroll down below to catch the video of the duo dancing together in public early on in their partnership. They’re naturals!
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Source: YouTube – Milly Carlucci, DanceSport Info, Instagram – @maria_rosaria_dalmonte_real