"Memories of Peru" premieres at the Fringe Boom Festival 2025

Angela Castillo and Mauricio Salas in "Memories of Peru". (Ernesto Moreno Photography)

Last weekend, Boom Festival 2025 took place in University City, north of Charlotte, with two versions, Boom Intersection and Boom Fringe.

At the latter one, Salas Art Agency presented "Memories of Peru," a performance by Mauricio Salas and Angela Castillo, a pair of experienced performers of traditional Peruvian dances.

“Memories of Peru” is an intimate journey into the family history of a dancers couple who decided to leave everything behind and emigrate. Told through dance, this story—like all stories of migration—captures feelings of nostalgia and uncertainty, but also of hope, resilience, and love.

Tondero. Memories of Peru. (Ernesto Moreno Photography)

The narrative is also an almost didactic approach to the handkerchief dances of Peru (Marinera, Tondero and Zamacueca), which marked milestones and left memories in the couple's history.

Mauricio Salas and Ángela Castillo created this performance driven by the need to share and heal, telling their own story in an artistic way. "We found a way to relive difficult moments through the dances that have accompanied us throughout our life together, that have seen us grow, and that accompany us wherever we go," says Mauricio Salas. “It is also a tribute to our roots and a way to tell our migration story to our children. They have been thrilled to have seen themselves captured in the performance," adds Angela Castillo.

The music deserves a special mention. Most of the selected pieces are from the repertoire of two extraordinary Peruvian performers: Maria Elena Pacheco (violin) and Ernesto Hermoza (guitar). Additionally, excerpts from such iconic songs as "Flor de la Canela" and "Coplas a Fray Martin" by Chabuca Granda are included, in versions for three guitars (Lucho González, Ernesto Hermoza, and Willy Terry).

Ernesto Hermoza and Maria Elena Pacheco.

The Boom Fringe Festival selected "Memories of Peru" as the winner, in a broad call for entries held last year for shows that would be part of the 2025 edition. It was the only Latin American show in the Fringe edition.

Zamacueca Memories of Peru. (Ernesto Moreno Photography)

Memories of Peru premiered at the Boom Fringe on Friday, April 25th and Saturday, April 26th, in three beautiful performances, sharing the stage with Pallavi Academy of Kuchipudi Dance.

The photographs are part of an extensive photo session by talented artist Ernesto Moreno Photography.