Guaguancó - There's more than one way to Rumba!
Intoxicating drum beats, rich Cuban vocals, and lots of sweaty dancers.
If that sounds like your kinda dance floor, then rumba is for you! But, wait - there's more than one way to rumba!
Colombia is a fast-paced rumba that combined African musical roots with religious Cuban traditions. It is historically danced only by the men (having been developed by the male Afro-Cuban plantation workers), and is generally a "solo" dance.
Yambu is much slower, and is the oldest form of rumba. Some people joke that it's for the "old folks" and that may come from the slow-paced beats, but it also surely comes from the moves in which the dancers pretend to be weak... As if their bodies can hardly dance anymore - but their hearts are willing it! (Skip to 3:30 if you just want to see dancing!).
Finally, Guaguancó is today's most popular style of rumba. It's a dynamic "game" of flirtation. The male and female dancers show off their moves and coyly provoke one another. It's the "call and response" of dance. Aside from being fun, practicing Guaguancó is good for any type of dancer because it improves musicality. It also helps develop the upper body rumba movements for anyone learning to dance rumba!
What's that you say? You wish you could learn Guaguancó? Well you're in luck, amigo!
Right here in Philly, Gilset Mora, master Cuban dancer, will be offering classes in Guaguancó at Headlong Dance Studios (at Broad and Federal) every Tuesday night from 7:30-8:30. Classes are $12, but if you want to buy in bulk - even more affordable class packages are available.
Then - If you're hooked on Cuban dance - stick around for the 8:30 class - Danzas de los Orishas - Afro-Cuban folkloric dance class. Dance barefoot to live drumming and chanting!
For more info click here or e-mail sandino311@gmail.com (or gilset39@gmail.com for espanol).
