Piero Gongora Toured with BYU Living Legends to France and Belgium this Summer ’24
At the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festival and Folk Arts (CIOFF) held in Belgium, one of BYU Living Legends’ dancers was approached by strangers asking to take a photo with him. These international fans recognized him as the well known Peruvian dancer, Piero Gongora. Before coming to BYU, Gongora had already made a name for himself through videos posted on YouTube and through winning awards for his Marinera Norteña dancing. Now, he shares his talents with BYU audiences at home and abroad.
As an international student, Gongora has faced the challenge of being far from home but has found comfort through dancing. “One of my favorite things about Living Legends is the focus that we put on connecting to our ancestors and our roots,” he said. “This connection to my ancestors has given me a better vision of my divine role on earth. As an international student, being away from home is not easy, but I feel closer to home when I share my culture and the culture of others.”
During July 2024, Gongora toured France and Belgium with Living Legends. There he had the opportunity to share his heritage and his passion for dance. “It was a remarkable opportunity to meet new people, serve my brothers and sisters and participate in CIOFF alongside different nations of the world,” he said. “It helped me to discover, respect and honor different cultures.”
Gongora learned that there are ways to understand and relate to others who may be different from himself through dance and participating in Living Legends. He said, “Performing for the young single adult members [of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] in France and Belgium was a blessing, and knowing that — despite differences in language, culture and background — there are many similar things that unite us, such as our love for Jesus Christ and His gospel.”
Shayla Bott, chair of the BYU Department of Dance, joined Living Legends on their tour and witnessed Gongora perform and interact with audiences. She said, “This experience reaffirmed to me that the Living Legends dancers have trained around the world for many years, studying the techniques and storytelling of the dances of their ancestors and are well-known cultural ambassadors.”
Gongora is now a member of the BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble and is excited to continue his journey of learning and loving new cultures through dance.
