Dancers with any level of experience are invited to learn salsa, timba and conga from Afro-Cuban dance teachers for three days of workshops and celebration at the annual Alafia of the Acosta Dance Centre in South East London in July.
Dancer, teacher and choreographer Master Domingo Pau, who is travelling from Cuba for the event, has a 60-year career in Afro-Cuban arts. He will join his daughter, Afro-Cuban dance educator, dancer and Acosta Dance Foundation’s Artistic Programmes Manager Luanda Pau, along with seven other specialist teachers, including Damaris Hechavarria, Niurka Aguero, Maikel Mota, Ariel Rios, Paul Brando, Alexander Barrera and Federica Fusco.
Live musicians across the weekend include Martha Galarraga and Julio Molina Pérez, who will work alongside singers and percussionists including Juan Carlos Angarica, Gerardo de Armas Sarria, Jose Ferrera Mulen, Gaspar Sena and Ohad Lustigman.
Acosta Dance Foundation Managing Director and co-founder and director of Alafia International Dance Festival, Javier Torres, says, “At Alafia, we bring the spirit of Cuba to the UK. We know how to throw a great party in Cuba and this year we’re bringing that same energy to the second edition of Alafia here in London, but bigger, bolder and better. Afro-Cuban dance is at the heart of our culture and we can’t wait to share the authenticity of this tradition with dance lovers from across the UK.”