After the arrival of Spain, various European dance forms began to take over in Cuba with the French contredanse being particularly popular. This gave rise to the Cuban contradanza, which spawned many of the ballroom dances found today including danz\u00f3n, mambo and cha-cha-cha. Let\u2019s look at them in more detail!<\/p>\n
Cha-cha-cha<\/p>\n
Cha-cha-cha or cha-cha (either is fine) came to be very popular in the 1950s when it was danced to the music of the same name by popular Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorr\u00edn. Another dance that originated from danz\u00f3n, the name is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound of the scraper (a guiro) and the shuffling of dancing feet. It is notable for having a rhythm that many social dancers don\u2019t get quite right; the count is meant to be \u2018two, three, cha-cha-cha\u2019 but many erroneously believe the dance to begin with \u2018one, two, cha-cha-cha\u2019. So now you know!<\/p>\n
Bolero<\/p>\n
The Cuban bolero or Trova does not owe its origin to the Spanish music and song of the same name, instead coming to prominence in Santiago de Cuba in the last quarter of the 19th century. The style began when a group of musicians earned their living by moving about the city and singing and playing the guitar to passers-by. Pepe S\u00e1nchez is widely heralded as the creator of the Cuban bolero but because he was so naturally skilled at the compositions, he never wrote any down and most are lost. Thankfully a few of S\u00e1nchez\u2019s works remain as his compatriots would occasionally note them down after hearing him perform. The style is extremely popular throughout Latin America and has been since its inception.<\/p>\n
Danz\u00f3n<\/p>\n
Watch that \u00f3! Danz\u00f3n is the official musical genre and dance of Cuba, which is also enjoyed across Mexico and Puerto Rico. Evolving from the contradanza, it is a fusion of African rhythmic dance styles and European influences. Developed in 1879, it is an important root for Cuban culture today and is highly distinctive; each dance begins with an introduction of four bars followed by a \u2018paseo\u2019 of another four bars. This repeats and is then followed by sixteen bars of melody. During the introduction and paseo, dancers walk to the floor, talk, choose a partner\u2014And then begin dancing on the fourth bar of the paseo. After the initial melody is performed, the dance repeats – four bars, paseo, four bars, paseo, melody \u2013 and so on and so forth! It is most often performed to the tune of Charanga bands, which include a cello, flute, double bass and more.<\/p>\n
Mambo<\/p>\n
Mambo is a dance form that originated in Cuba and has since been developed by Cuban musicians across North America and Mexico. The word \u2018mambo\u2019 actually comes from Kikongo, a language spoken by Central African slaves who were taken to Cuba many centuries ago, and means \u201cConversation with the Gods.\u201d Modern mambo began with a song called \u2018Mambo\u2019 from 1938 and was heavily inspired by danz\u00f3n and African folk music.<\/p>\n
Salsa<\/p>\n
Salsa dancing originated from the cha-cha-cha and mambo dances of the early 20th century and actually began in New York in the 1970s. American dancers incorporated their own favoured dances like swing and hustle into the mix as well as guaguanco and pachanga, dances that are synonymous with Afro-Cuba and the Afro-Caribbean. Ideally, the upper body is to remain level whilst the legs move in time to the music. It\u2019s a very rhythmic dance, often associated with passion due to the intensity of the dancers\u2019 concentration.<\/p>\n
Ballet<\/p>\n
Cuba has ballet schools throughout the country with one of their most famous celebrities, Carlos Acosta, famous all over the world. To give some idea to the scale of Cuba\u2019s love with ballet, the National Ballet School in Havana is home to roughly 3,000 students, making it comfortably the largest ballet school in the world. Such is the pride that Cubans take in their ballet that throughout Castro\u2019s reign, the dance receive state support for both dance education and performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After the arrival of Spain, various European dance forms began to take over in Cuba with the French contredanse being particularly popular. This gave rise to the Cuban contradanza, which spawned many of the ballroom dances found today including danz\u00f3n, … Continue reading