The Dances of Cuba

The Music and dances of Cuba have evolved over decades and some forms over centuries. The rhythms and movements have sometimes been taken for other cultures, but which ever way you look at it the Cuban people have a unique ability to turn these rhythms and movements into dance. In fact, Cuba is a 1200Km long melting pot of dance and music producing a culture of rythms that few, if any, other places in the world can match.

 

 

Bolero

The Cuban Bolero is a slow close dance in 2/4 timing from Santiago de Cuba. It has a very strong position in the world of traditional Cuban Music. The steps can be a mix of slow quick quick and quick quick quick quick. With a sliding step.

If you look at just about any traditional Cuba CD most will contain Bolero tracks along side Son.

 

 

Cha Cha Cha

 Comes from 1950's Cuba. There is some debate about where the Cha Cha Cha step comes in bar of the Music, most say when the music says Cha Cha Cha.

 

 

Conga

The home of the Conga is the Carnavals of Santiago de Cuba. It’s danced in a procession in the streets followed by the band ( Comparsa ). Like most other dances through out the world there are regional variations and the Conga is no exception with notable differences between the way its danced in Havana and Santiago de Cuba.

 

Añoranza Por La Conga by

Ricardo Leyva Y Sur Caribe

 

 

 

 

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Mambo

Comes from Havana in the 1940's before its later move to New York. The Mambo is one of the dances that gave Salsa some of it's roots. However with the Mambo's moved away from Cuba and to New York the Music and dance changed to suite it's new audience.

 

 

Merengue

Has little Cuban connection but is sometimes played in UK Clubs because of the ease of the step.

Merenge comes from the Dominican Republic and is danced with a step to every beat of the music, which can be quite fast. Turns are slow and the steps kept small.

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Conga

Clan537 - la mujer del Pelotero

Cuban Dance Styles

Rueda

Son

Rumba

Orisha

Reggaeton

 

• Pilon

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  Pilon is a little know dance in the Uk but Arial is one of the few teachers in London who keeps it alive. The basic movment of Pilon comes from the two handed pounding of sugar cane in a large bowl.

• Bachata

•    Bachata workshop at Mundesly Weekend

Bachata one of the quickest ways of looking good on the dance floor. The music is sexy and so is the dance. Generally bachata music has a strong rhythm which follows the steps of the dance. The key to the dance is getting the correct hip movment which comes from a small push off the floor.

• It's origins are not Cuban but from the Dominican Republic. It  is danced by just about all Cuban dancers and the music can be found in all the Cuban clubs.

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