Afro Cuban Dance At Esquina Tango: New Time & Day!

Join us at Esquina as we continue to indulge in the flavorful rhythms of Afro-Cuban dancing. Come have fun with us at our new time: Saturdays, 11:45AM to 12:45PM <--correct class times! Disregard Facebook's event times. Due to Facebook's two-week event restriction, we can't show the correct ending time as 12:45PM. Cuban culture has woven many of its customs into its musical and dance styles, which range from the sacred and folkloric to the latest popular fusions. Dance is a celebration of the Cuban people’s rich African heritage as well as their Spanish influence. Body movement will be shown through dances such as rumba, Palo, Orisha and salsa suelta. The class will be taught at a basic level, ideal for beginners, and will gradually progress as the class improves. The goal for this class is to help you incorporate flavorful body movement into your own dancing! Brief background on each dance: -Rumba: Developed in rural Cuba, it is based on African rhythms with influences from Spanish Gitano/Gypsy flamenco dance and song. Consisting of three styles (columbia, yambú and guaguancó), partner dancing can involve overtly flirtatious and sensual body movement in a game in which males pursue the females. -Palo: Dances performed during Palo religious ceremonies, which originate from the Bantú people of Central Africa, particularly from Congo. It is an energetic dance that emphasizes strong torso movements. -Orisha: The Orishas are deities of the Yoruba people’s religion. Each of them has their own mythology, music and dance. In this class we will practice Eleggua and Changó. These dances develop coordination, rhythm, and spatial awareness. -Salsa Suelta: We’ll fuse folkloric moves along with salsa and even hip hop to make a funky blend that will make everyone want to move! Class schedule: -Saturday 1/14: Rumba -Saturday 1/21: Rumba -Saturday 1/28: Salsa suelta (Austin Free Day of Dance) → Other folkloric dances will be practiced in the weeks to come Ladies, if possible, please bring a long skirt or a shawl for rumba class. Guys, if possible, please bring a handkerchief for rumba class. See you at Esquina! More Info below.