Why Cuba Will Always Dance
Although I have never been to Cuba, My parents recently just went. They saw a variety of cultural dancing there, and said it was superb! I have done a Cuban dancing class, along with a salsa class, in my past years, and thought it was so much fun.
The Cuban Culture consist of much passion. It's a sensation that cannot accurately be conveyed in words as dance to Cubans is tantamount to life. People describe Cuban dancing as if it was second nature to breathing.
Dancing began in Cuban even before the arrival of slaves and colonizers in the 17th century. The indigenous people known as Tainos, performed rituals and ceremonies that included dancing, singing, and music. After West African people were brought over as slaves in the 17th century, they had a heavy influence on the rituals in Cuba, such as the Santeria.
The next influential moment came in 1791, which was the start of the Haitian Revolution. The Revolution went all the way until 1804, and during that period many Haitian refugees fled to Cuba and never returned, making Cuba their new home. With them they brought dances that were reflective of their story of revolution and rebellion, these dance are known today in Cuba as Tumba. European influenced them around the 19th century when French brought a style of dancing called contredanse. The African servants would try and mimic this dance and in doing so, created a much more sensual version known today as the Cuban contradanza. The early 20th century was revolutionary in Cuba for many reasons. One of them was the Mambo, a dance that took the nation by storm, and quickly expanded all over the world. The Mambo is just as popular today as it was back then, and is forever considered a part of Cuba's identity. It is said that the cha-cha was created out of necessity because the Americans visiting Cuba couldn't keep up with the Mambo rhythm!
Cuba is an incredible place that is rich in history, culture, and evolution. No matter what the Cuban people may face one thing is for certain, they will most likely never stop dancing!
