Caminaré -The Echo of My Steps is the kind of show that quietly finds its way under your skin. Created and performed by Mario Acosta Cevallos, this one-man cabaret fuses Latin dance, storytelling and raw emotion into something deeply personal yet widely relatable. It’s a journey through memory and movement, tracing the echoes of a migrant childhood, the pressures of perfection and the lifelong process of healing.
There’s a real honesty to how Mario tells his story. He doesn’t perform at you; he invites you in. Through rhythm, gesture and voice, he takes the audience through moments of pride, pain and discovery. The dance sequences are charged with precision and control, yet grounded in vulnerability. His background as a world salsa champion is evident in every turn and accent, but this isn’t about competition or technique. It’s about using dance as language, one that speaks of identity, belonging and resilience.
The narrative moves between humour and heartbreak with ease. One minute you’re laughing at the familiar absurdities of childhood expectations, the next you’re watching him confront the silence of self-doubt. The space between those moments is where the work breathes. Director Clary Riven and co-writer Laura Anderson help shape the material with care, letting Mario’s truth remain at the centre. Nothing feels overproduced. Every cue, every pause and every piece of music feels like it’s been placed there to support the story, not to decorate it.
What stands out most is the authenticity. So often, works about trauma or identity rely on spectacle to make an impact, but this piece resists that urge. It’s rooted in sincerity. There’s a physical poetry to the way Mario revisits each memory, as if every movement is an act of reclaiming space. When he speaks about finding freedom through dance, you believe him completely.
The show also carries a quiet universality. While it’s framed through the lens of a queer Latino artist’s experience, its themes of self-acceptance, cultural belonging and healing feel immediately recognisable. Anyone who has ever questioned their place in the world will find something in his story that resonates.
By the end, a clear message lingers, that healing is not a destination, but a rhythm you learn to move with. – The Echo of My Steps isn’t just a performance, it’s a reminder of how art can hold space for truth, vulnerability and joy all at once.
Caminaré – The Echo of My Steps, written and performed by Mario Acosta Cevallos, played at Gasworks Theatre as part of Melbourne Fringe from 7th – 11th October 2025. For more information, visit https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/caminare-the-echo-of-my-steps
