Afro-Cuban Dance holiday, Cuba
Transfers and visas on request.
Flights should be booked independently
Description of Afro-Cuban Dance holiday, Cuba
Your base for this Afro-Cuban Dance holiday is Santiago de Cuba, a rich cultural tapestry with influences from Western Africa, Haiti and the rest of the Caribbean. Blended together these create one of the most intoxicating dance and music scenes in Cuba which you will explore throughout the week, with daily classes taught by a professional.
Suitable for all levels of experience, you’ll be assigned your own expert dance partner throughout who will not only get you dancing like the professionals but also introduce you to the local music and dance scene so you can put your newly acquired skills to the test.
With world famous venues such as the Casa del Caribe and the Casa de Africa, and regular festivals – including the annual Festival del Caribe in July – Afro-Cuban culture is celebrated widely in the city and at grassroots level in the local community. You will have the opportunity to meet and dance with the locals, putting into practice what you have learned during the day.
Dance and music go hand in hand and so we’ve also included percussion lessons to help you understand the rhythms and roots of the key elements of traditional Afro-Cuban music. Learning Afro-Haitian rhythms like Gaga and Vodu will enrich the moves you learn during dance classes so you’ll be dancing everything from Afro-Cuban rumba to Afro- Haitian Merengue like a local pro.
This trip is organised as a customised holiday and can start on any Monday throughout the year. It can be adapted for longer than one week, and also for group tours.
Price information
Transfers and visas on request.
Flights should be booked independently
Departure information
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Responsible Travel
Planet
When in Cuba we encourage everyone to learn about the country, the culture of the local people and the places being visited. Our tour leaders hold briefing meetings to inform about and discuss with clients all aspects of local life. This helps to have a better understanding of the area and a deeper appreciation of the people who live there. It is our policy to carefully dispose of all waste whilst we are hiking in national parks or biosphere reserves and on visits and tours too. We encourage our clients to explore the natural environment in Cuba, and to learn about the wide range of flora, fauna and wildlife.In the cities, we encourage our clients to think about the amount of water they use for showering and washing and to restrict the use of air-conditioning units in their rooms. Our trips provide a real opportunity to experience Cuban life, albeit briefly, and to connect with the people, the environment and landscape. The Cuban government is a firm supporter of sustainable development, re-forestation projects and conservation and Cuba has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world.
People
We encourage everyone to stay in local homes whilst we are in Cuba so that our clients have an opportunity to meet and spend time with local people to learn something of local life. It also enables them to use their Spanish language skills, even at a basic level. Importantly, this also ensures that monies are spent at a very local level and go into the pockets of Cuban households. All our dance/music/language tutors and specialist guides are professionally trained Cubans and they are treated and paid fairly.We support local Cuban businesses in every aspect of our trips - accommodation, transport, meals, drinks and activities - thus contributing directly to the local economy and community. We also regularly organise donations for local schools and educational projects. We recommend that clients consider donations of items such as toiletries, baby and childrens clothing, some medicines and luxuries such as soap to the families they visit and projects we support.
We also regularly provide donations to two youth theatre and drama companies in Santiago de Cuba, bringing material for costumes and stage make-up from the UK or buying essential items locally such as paint for props and other essential materials we can purchase in Cuba.
On our dance and music holidays, we recommend that clients bring with them any musical or dance items which they can leave for their tutors, such as shoes, strings, instruments or dancewear. On our hiking trips, we encourage the donation of appropriate items such as hiking shoes or boots, small rucksacks, water bottles, penknives and other such items for the specialist guides accompanying the tour.
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