Overview

Cuban Salsa: "Casino”

The appropriate name for Cuban Salsa is Casino as it is known throughout Latin America. Dancing Casino is an expression of popular social culture; Latin Americans consider casino as part of social and cultural activities centering around their popular music. The origins of the name Casino is derived from the Spanish term for "hall".

Historically, Casino traces its origin as a partner dance from the Cuban Son dancing and its rhythmic body motions from Afro-Cuban Rumba heritage. Son is considered an older version and ancestor to Salsa. Son is danced on delay measure upbeat (contra-tiempo) following the 2-3 clave (Son Clave) whereas Casino is usually danced on downbeat break on 1 or 3 (a-tiempo). Beats 1, 3, 5 and 7 are considered downbeats and 2, 4, 6 and 8 are considered upbeats.

Casino is popularized in the late 1950s as the Cuban Son received upbeat and quicker arrangements by musicians. Casino has a very independent development, free from external influences such as Puerto Rican and North American dances partly due to the effect of the Cuban Embargo.

Culturally, Casino is danced as an interplay between male and female gender, and feeling the music ("Sabor") as its main ingredients. Almost all casino dance routines are named in Latin cultural context with emphasis on sexual interplay, teasing, and everyday experience.

This style of salsa is relatively easy to learn, and thus popular among beginners. However, to master Casino require dancing and mastering from influences such as Rumba, Son, and Mambo. This takes a long time, and is further compounded by lack of teaching materials in other languages other than Spanish.

Cuban-Style Salsa Partnership Dance (Parejas)

Casino has an strong basic step known as "Guapea" (lit. "Chill Out" by Afro-Cuban Community), in which the male lead put his left foot behind on the break, as opposite of left foot forward on the basic step.

Casino styling includes men being "machisimo" and women being femininely sexy, with major body and muscle isolations, through the influence of Rhumba dancing. During the dance, dancers break from each other during percussion solos and perform the "despolete", and advanced form of styling in which the male and female partner get physically close and tease each other without touching through the gyrating of hips and shoulders while performing muscle isolations.

The major distinction of Cuban Salsa Styling is that male partners have tendencies to show off (following Afro-Cuban Guaguanco influence) under the guise of cultural behavior of males having to attract attention and tease females. This is the major point of differences between Casino and the rest of the Northern American Salsa as the North American Salsa ascribed to the ballroom adage of "men are the picture frame while women are the picture."

Cuban Solo Dancing (Suelta).

Cuban-Salsa Solo Dancing (Suelta) is dancing salsa without having a partner. It originates from stage singers and dancers who setup routines during orchestra and live performance. Dance singularly or in a group (usually male facing females on the dance floor) the movements are based on a-tiempo or contra-tiempo with intricate footwork and lively body movements.

Cuba Cultural & Dance Tour Highlights:

Tour of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Havana Historical Centre.
Travel to UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Las Terrazas.
Workshop on Casino Dance Male & Female Body Movements.
Lunch hosted by world renowned Cuban artists Jose Fuster.
Dance Workshop on Casino Dancing.
Dance Workshop on Regla de Ocha Religious Dancing.
Dance Workshop on Son Habanero Dancing.
Private Afrocuban religious dance presentation.
Rumba Performance and Dancing at Callejon de Hamel.
Dance at Casa de La Musica, Cabaret Turquino, Salon Rojo...
Guided tour of Museum of Fine Arts, Cuban Collection.
Ferry boat ride the town of Regla.
Farewell dinner at Cabaret Parisien.
Cuba's popular ceremony, the Fire of the Cannon of 9 O’Clock.

Notice to US Travellers:

This Cuba art tour is licensable for U.S. dance teachers, performance atists, professional dancers, choreographers, community dancers and other dance related professionals interested in conducting professional research on the Cuba's music & dance industry.

Authentic Cuba Travel is able to offer US dance choreographers, dance teachers and other dance related professionals this Cuba dance tour because of a rare political opening in U.S. policy that allows professionals and educational groups to go to the island as part of Cuba study tours.

Do not miss this unique chance, call us or book online to secure your seat.

Casino styling includes men being "machisimo" and women being femininely sexy, with major body and muscle isolations, through the influence of Rhumba dancing. During the dance, dancers break from each other during percussion solos and perform the "despolete", and advanced form of styling in which the male and female partner get physically close and tease each other without touching through the gyrating of hips and shoulders while performing muscle isolations.

Other partner dancing styles include "Trios" or "Quattros" in which a male lead will dance with two or more female partners in each arm in in intricate patterns. There are also a "Trios" version in which two male leaders share a female partner.

Casa de La Musica, a great opportunity to dance Rueda de Casino and Salsa with Cubans and your tour companions to live music of Cuban best salsa bands such as Los Van Van, Paulito FG, La Charanga Habanera, Adalberto Alvarez, and many others.

Rumba performance and dancing at Callejon de Hamel. An alleyway street caught in Centro Habana neighborhood where an effort of cultural rescue and expansion led by fine artist Salvador González has been underway since 1990. Salvador’s murals and sculptures have taken over entire buildings’ facades, shrines to Afrocuban deities.

Santeria Religious Dance are characterized by the richness of body movements, its expression, its rhythm and the variety of steps and variants devoted to each of the Orichas or saints that make up the pantheon of this religion. These dances have considerably influenced other Cuban dancing expressions such as Casino itself, mainly with the inclusion of steps and gestures in the performances and in some of the figures of the Casino Ring.

Cuba Cultural & Dance TRavel, Parisien Cabaret!

Famous for its colorful shows, the Cabaret Parisien has always been a favorite among visitors from all over the world. Located at the Hotel Nacional, this venerable cabaret show is a vibrant and extravagant spectacle.

Cuban Salsa Solo Dancing (Suelta) is dancing salsa without having a partner. It originates from stage singers and dancers who setup routines during orchestra and live performance. Dance singularly or in a group (usually male facing females on the dance floor) the movements are based on a-tiempo or contra-tiempo with intricate footwork and lively body movements.

Las Terrazas is a community of little more than 1000 inhabitants in the centre of an environmentally rich area known as Sierra del Rosario mountain range, a massif in the Cuban west which was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Day 1. Sunday 5 August. Hello Cuba

Arrival at "Jose Marti" International Airport in Havana.

Group welcomed by your Cuban guide and bus driver for the entire tour.

Private transfer to your Hotel Habana Libre, located at the cultural center of Havana City.

Private group check-in.

Breakfast is complimentary from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Day 2. Monday 6 August. Havana

Morning: introduction to your Cuban teacher and assistants. Cuban Dance Workshop on Casino Dance Body Movements for 2 hrs. Your Cuban teachers and their assistants, who serve as your dance partner, tailor instruction to the individual student: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

This workshop is organized in classes for men and women separetely because of the different and specific body movements in Casino dance for each sex. Steps, figures and movements particular of each sex will be included so as to allow the dancers to enrich their creativity for improvisation when dancing.

Welcome lunch at La Mina restaurant.

Afternoon: guided walking tour of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Old Havana.

Visit to the Cathedral Square, named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Cathedral of Havana built by the Jesuit order.

Visit to Square of Arms, ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers and surrounded by impressive buildings such as:

Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, the former official residence of the governors (Captains General) of Havana, Cuba. It is home to the Museum of the City of Havana. It houses exhibitions of art and historical artefacts and many of the rooms are preserved with their original Colonial decoration.

Palacio del Segundo Cabo. The seat of the second authority of the island. Today it houses important publishing concerns.

Castillo de la Real Fuerza. The second oldest fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies. The castle was recently renovated and reopened in June 2008 to hold the impressive maritime museum. Well laid out exhibits chart Spain and Cuba's naval history.

Visit to Plaza Vieja, the only civic square of colonial times. Notice it doesn't have a church or government building around. Here we will visit important institutions for visual arts.

Continue walking tour onto San Francisco Square, named after the Convent of San Francisco, this square was conceived in 1628, with the objective of supplying water to the ships trading with the metropolis. For many years it also served to stockpile the goods arriving from the harbor.

Free time in the famous handicraft market of Old Havana where you can purchase all sorts of crafts and souvenirs by local artisans.

Return to hotel.

Evening venue: visit to Casa de La Musica de Miramar. A great opportunity to Rueda de Casino and Salsa dancing with Cubans and your tour companions to live music of Cuban best salsa bands such as Los Van Van, Paulito FG, La Charanga Habanera, Adalberto Alvarez, and many others (entrance fee not included).

Return to hotel.

Day 3. Tuesday 7 August. Havana

Morning: Cuban Dance Workshop on Casino Dancing for 2 hrs. Your Cuban teachers and their assistants, who serve as your dance partner, tailor instruction to the individual student: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

This workshop will focus on the teaching and practicing the different rhythmic ways of Casino dancing Casino in Cuba today. Men and women will be able to participate together. The workshop will teach you to recognize the different tempos in which Casino is danced nowadays.

Afterwards visit to Callejon de Hamel. An alleyway street caught in Centro Habana neighborhood where an effort of cultural rescue and expansion led by fine artist Salvador González has been underway since 1990.

Salvador’s murals and sculptures have taken over entire buildings’ facades– shrines to Afrocuban deities. Meet with Salvador Gonzales to discuss their work and its effects on the neighborhood.

We are now "leaving" Havana and entering Fusterlandia, the studio, residence and wild kingdom of José Rodriguez Fuster, one of the most important Cuban ceramists and painters today. Lunch hosted by Jose Fuster.

Afternoon: guided tour of the Museum of Fine Arts' Cuban Collection where we see the evolution of Cuba's visual arts over the last 300 years. The collection accounts for the richness of our Spanish, French, Chinese, African cultural roots.

Followed by guided panoramic motor coach tour of Modern Havana.

We will visit places like Square of Revolution, University of Havana, Seawall, Vedado neighbourhood, 1830 Restaurant, Miramar neighbourhood, Nacional Hotel, Cemetery Colon, and others.

Return to your hotel.

Evening venue: visit to Casa de La Musica de Centro Habana. A great opportunity to practice Rueda de Casino and Sala dancing with Cubans and your tour companions to live music of Cuban best salsa bands such as Los Van Van, Paulito FG y su Elite, La Charanga Habanera, Adalberto Alvarez y su Son, NG La Banda, and many others (optional/ entrance fee not included).

Day 4. Wednesday 8 August. Havana

Day 5. Thursday 9 August. Havana

Morning: Cuban Dance Workshop on Santeria or Regla de Ocha Religious Dancing for 2 hrs. Your Cuban teachers and their assistants, who serve as your dance partner, tailor instruction to the individual student: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

Santeria Religious Dance are characterized by the richness of body movements, its expression, its rhythm and the variety of steps and variants devoted to each of the Orichas or saints that make up the pantheon of this religion. These dances have considerably influenced other Cuban dancing expressions such as Casino itself, mainly with the inclusion of steps and gestures in the performances and in some of the figures of the Casino Ring.

Lunch on your own (not included).

Afternoon: ferry boat ride across Havana harbour to the town of Regla. This Afrocuban community has a long, rich and still active tradition of African-inspired religions.

We'll visit Regla's church dedicated to the black "Virgen de Regla" Yemayá, the African goddess of the sea in the Yoruba religion and the patron saint of sailors.

Tour of Regla's municipal museum to learn the origins of this unique community and its Afrocuban cultures.

Enjoy private Afrocuban religious dance presentation by Regla Folkloric Group.

Evening venue: visit to Habana Cafe. A great opportunity to practice Rueda de Casino and Sala dancing with Cubans and your tour companions to live music of Cuban best salsa bands such as Los Van Van, Paulito FG y su Elite, La Charanga Habanera, Adalberto Alvarez y su Son, NG La Banda, and many others (optional/ entrance fee not included)

Day 6. Friday 10 August. Havana- Las Terrazas

Morning departure to Las Terrazas, located in UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Sierra del Rosario where we start the morning tour of the rural town at Rancho Curujey for explanation of the area.

Enjoy the view of the village that lies above the shores of San Juan Lake and beneath the mountains.

We also visit the home/studios of local artists and artisans.

Visit to the ruins of a French Coffee Plantation built in 1801.

Continue to La Moka, an ecological hotel with trees growing up through the balconies and ceiling.

Later we can take a swim at San Juan River cascades and pools.

We have lunch in local traditional restaurant.

Retrun to Havana City.

Evening venue: visit to Salon Rojo. A great opportunity to practice Rueda de Casino and Sala dancing with Cubans and your tour companions to live music of Cuban best salsa bands such as Los Van Van, Paulito FG y su Elite, La Charanga Habanera, Adalberto Alvarez y su Son, NG La Banda, and many others (optional/ entrance fee not included).