Cuban dance culture is an integral part of Caribbean Creole identity. Creole culture, in essence, means existing in areas which power do not allow us to exist.

In Cuba, dance is not confined to stages and theaters. Dancing is in the streets, at family gatherings in backyards. Dancing is in the everyday, intertwined in political struggles, religious rituals, daily life. Dancing is a manifestation of natural elements, of cultivating agency through our body praxis.

Let’s celebrate our existence and our resistance spirit towards hegemony through moving our bodies and making connections with others. Dancing is everybody and every type of body. Everyone is welcomed without previous experiences. In this session, depending on the number of participants, we will explore the world of Rueda Casino dance or Rumba Guaguanco.

“Rueda de Casino” is cuban salsa danced around a circle, with the dance moves being called by one person, a caller. This style was developed in Cuba in the 1950s.

“Rumba Guaguanco” is a dance and music style that capture the heart and soul of the Cuban street. It also has great importance within the Cuban repertoire and has highly influenced both salsa music and Cuban salsa dance. It mimics the courtship process of life forces.

Unlike the Eurocentric dance system, where the body is highly scrutinized, disciplined, and subjected to a philosophy idea that separates the body, mind, and spirit — the body in Afro-Cuban dances is relaxed, inclusive, grounded, and open for connections with oneself, others, and the world.

This event will take place to the right of the “Kittichiengmai Pharmacy”.