Culture

At the Last Dominican Day Parade, This Corrections Officer Salsa Danced Harder than Anyone Else

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At the 2015 Dominican Day Parade, corrections officer Alexis J. Parrilla couldn’t stop his feet from moving when he heard salsa music. Originally, he watched from the sidelines. But when the music started, he handed his Dominican flag to a buddy and clapped on beat as he made his way to the middle of the street. Apparently, Parrilla – who appears to be Puerto Rican – zeroed in on the best rumbera and decided to dance with her, despite the fact that she already had a partner. The original dude stepped to the side, because he knew he had been bested.

Parrilla held up the procession a little with his need to salsa dance, but he basically DGAF.

On Facebook, he explained, “I dance wherever.” And he’s not lying. Sprinkled throughout his account are references to salsa dancing. But that’s probably par for the course for someone who used to work at Dance Atlantic, Inc. in Brooklyn.


The Dominican Day Parade takes place on August 14, 2016. This year’s theme is “Honoring and Empowering the Dominican Woman.” It will start at 38th Street and Sixth Avenue and end at 52nd Street and Sixth Avenue.