Article & photos by Cheri Tishman
Over a thousand people came out to celebrate WorldFest this year, another spectacular event of culture, food, entertainment and just plain fun featuring countries that included Mexico, Israel, India and Colombia and food from Puerto Rico, India, Italy, Asia and the Mediterranean. Sponsored and organized by the Coral Springs Multicultural Committee, this annual event just keeps getting better and better.
New featured entertainment was the “Marinera Peruana con Caballo de Paso Peruana”– the National Dance of Peru. The “Marinera” is a graceful and romantic couple’s dance where the woman uses a handkerchief as a prop to entice her lover. The dance is an elegant reenactment of a courtship, and it shows a blend of the different cultures of Peru. In this dance, however, the woman danced with the Peruvian Paso horse, the national horse of Peru. The horse was strong and majestic and to see it “dancing” to the wave of a hankerchief, was amazing. The horse rider was Marco Tarazona and the woman dancer was Marieta Mariluz.
Another new face to the WorldFest was the Drake School of Irish Dance. The girls performed their Irish dances to perfection. They brought out all levels of performers, from the experienced dancers to the tiny tots who were just learning.
Also performing and bringing a new show each year were the Coral Springs Chinese Cultural Association, the Vietnamese Folklore Dance Group, the Stoneman Douglas High School, the Ramblewood Cultural Dancers, Brazilian Martial Arts Dancers and many, many more. From the Lotus Angels dance to the Butterfly Dancers by the Haitian Dancers, this was an amazing day.
WorldFest is one of the best events that Coral Springs has, maybe in all of Broward County. There is enough activity to keep your kids entertained for the entire day. Plan to WorldFest next year! You will not be disappointed.
