Description
Rumba Guaguancó
Cuban rumba is a traditional music and dance style and cultural form that originated in Cuba in the 19th century among the descendants of African slaves and the lower white social class. Rumba Guaguancó is one of the three main styles of Cuban Rumba (Yambu, Guaguancó, and Columbia). It combines sexual tension, rhythmic intelligence, and Afro-Cuban identity. It is a flirtatious and playful dance that also includes a symbolic “approach” between partners, known as vacunao (vaccination).
The Rumba Guaguancó class introduces participants to the roots of Afro-Cuban movement and rhythm. The class focuses on the body movements and rhythms characteristic of Rumba, as well as playful, dialogical expression through solo dance.
You can bring a large, lightweight scarf to the class. The studio also has skirts available to borrow if you wish.
Emma Hirvonen
Emma tells about herself:
“My roots take me to the cold north, but deep down inside, Cuban rhythms have melted my heart.
Dance has been a part of my life throughout my life, and my most important teachers have been the respected maestros and dancers Indira and Yunier Garcia, from whom I have learned both in Finland (for the first time in 2016) and in Cuba, as well as Hanna Terán, with whom I had my first childhood dance experiences and under whose guidance I have grown as a dancer ever since.
I teach Cuban popular dances, including step and body movement techniques based on casino (couple salsa). In my classes, the focus is shifted away from rigid choreography towards a grounded and authentic movement language. In solo classes, students learn to interpret and express different qualities of dance and to combine them naturally. In my teaching, it is important to me to always respect the origins and cultural context of dance. Progress in the courses is made with respect for the dialogue between learning and repetition, i.e., internalizing things and then letting them sink in, understanding that everyone learns at their own pace.
In my teaching, I combine gentle and technically precise guidance. I approach dance with the understanding that we are a whole. Our breathing is an essential part of movement, and with it, relaxation is like opening up a new dimension to dance
Agua!!”
More information about the workshop: info@flama.fi


