MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- Clad in traditional Tahitian warrior attire on the flightline at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Sgt. Nathaniel Z. Duarosan channeled his inner warrior April 25 and perfected his Polynesian dance preparing to perform in front of thousands of people at the 2012 Cherry Point air show, May 6.
The air show runs May 4-6 celebrating the heritage of 100 years of Marine aviation. Duarosan said he looks forward to celebrating Tahitian heritage at the event, as well. “When I dance it comes from my heart,” said Duarosan, a mission assurance noncommissioned officer in charge at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
The Hawaii native said he had a good reason to begin learning Tahitian dance in high school when he was 17. He wanted to impress a girl he had a crush on.
“She invited me to learn how to dance, and I said yes,” said Duarosan. Shortly thereafter, he became a part of the Tahitian dance group she was in, and danced with the group for two years.
Though he didn’t get the girl, Duarosan’s passion for the dance remained and his fellow Marines have taken notice.
When the Marines in his shop learned of his unique talents, they signed him up to perform in the multicultural portion of the Cherry Point air show, said Staff Sgt. Arvin L. Manning, Duarosan’s staff noncommissioned officer in charge.
“We thought that putting him on the spot like that would embarrass him, but surprisingly it didn’t,” Manning said. His fellow Marines encourage him to dance in the office and have even posted videos of him on YouTube, said Manning.
“My staff sergeant knows how to get anything out of anybody,” said Duarosan. “If you have a hidden talent, he has a knack for being able to bring it out of you.”
Duarosan also played a part in the planning process for the air show. During downtime he will be on the flightline assuring Cherry Point Marines and emergency response teams are ready to respond in the event of an incident. Duarosan says he is excited to perform in this year’s air show.
“With all the excitement surrounding me, I will be nervous because I am introducing people to a style of dance they might not have seen before,” he said. “I will be focused on having fun during my performance, so I’m sure my nervousness will fade.”