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I had an interesting conversation with a man who heads Boogalu Productions recently. This is an organization that makes videotapes of Cubans Rueda groups and other forms of music and dance in Cuba. See their website below.
Boogalu Productions
unsung Cuban Music & Dance
www.boogalu.com
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Here is what happened: One day in June, 2005, I got a phone message and an email from the head of Boogalu. He wanted to talk to me about something on my website where I mention the videos he produces. Since I am very interested in what is going on in Cuba with respect to Rueda dancing, I naturally wanted to talk to him personally. So I called him back and we had a very long, fascinating talk. It turns out that he travels frequently to Cuba, so he is very familiar with current cultural trends in Cuba. I thought what he said was so interesting, that I wanted to share it with visitors to my site. His take on Rueda and Casino dancing is that it was in its heyday in the l970's and 80's. In fact, he commented that that is where the move "setenta" got its name! At that time, many young people did Rueda and Casino. Also he said that the word "Salsa" has only been used recently to describe this popular Cuban dance. Cubans call the popular dance form that originated in the 70's "Casino." And before that, the popular dances were variations on the form known as "Son". |
 Above: DanceInTimeProductions and Latin Motion do Rueda at a park amphitheatre in Virginia |
However, in the 90s, Rueda and Casino dancing became less popular with Cuban youth. It was still done at private parties and many people still knew the dance. But in relative terms, it was not as popular with the youth as it had been in the 70s and 80s. Starting in the 90s, and continuing to the present, many Cuban young people are interested in more modern music, such as Hip Hop and American and Latin Pop Music.
Then around 2002-03, there was a revival of interest among some groups of young people in Rueda dancing. However, the way Rueda began being done at this time was a little different than before. It is now used more for performances, with long strings of choreography. That is in contrast to the shorter moves that are typically done in Ruedas at casual parties in Cuba.
In Cuba today, Rueda groups will often get together and work out dance presentations that they can perform. In addition, there are Rueda competitions now at the principal cities in Cuba. The moves of the dance have evolved, like any "living art form." So jumps and "Hip Hop" and other newly invented moves have been incorporated into Rueda dancing along with these longer strings of choreography.
And listen to this: He said that the role of Rueda dancing for some youth groups in Cuba today could be loosely compared to what it's like to be on a sports team in the U.S. The young people in Cuba get together and work out presentations and compete with other Rueda groups. For them it is great fun, and when they do a good job, they get positive public recognition.
Furthermore, at Salsa clubs in Cuba these days, many young people can be found dancing "suelta" and "despelote" style. This is individual or solo dancing, as opposed to partnership dancing. He described the "despelote" style as a gyrating motion to the music. (His description reminded me of how people who go to rock concerts dance to the music. They basically groove to the music and dance solo.)
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Let me add a caveat regarding all this information. I have heard reports from others who have visited Cuba that are a bit different than the above. As we all know, everyone has their own outlook and take on the things they see. (I have heard people who have spent time in Cuba argue with each other about whether Cubans tap on the 8th beat of a Salsa phrase while dancing Rueda. Each person claimed to know because he/she was there and saw it with their own eyes.)
But I thought this outlook on Cuban dancing from someone with a lot of expertise and experience there was so interesting, that I wanted to share it. And if any readers of this website have been to Cuba and happen to have a different take on what is happening there, I'd love to hear from you!
Barb
I want to add a note about an interesting film that is currently being produced about Cuban dancing. A woman named Sarita is producing a documentary on Cuban Salsa which addresses the origins of Rueda de Casino. It features Cuban culture and dance by following the lives of some members of "La Rueda de Guanabacoa," a Cuban dance team. A trailer for this movie has been completed and you can watch it by clicking on the link below:
Click here
Readers who would like to contact Sarita about contributing to this project in any way can reach
her at saritastreng@yahoo.com
Copyright Barbara Bernstein of DanceInTime.com, 2005