Graduated with a degree in dance art specializing in folklore

Graduated in dance art instructor. Categorized as a first-level specialized teacher.

Professor of the world event of casino dancers and salsa academies Baila en Cuba.

Employment Trajectory:

-Group “Omó Olurum

-Banrarrá Folk Company

-Orisha-Oko folkloric company

– Obbá Ilú rumbera group.

Artistic and General Director, Graduate in Dance Art. Folk Profile of the Higher Institute of Art of Havana (ISA), Cuba.

He was born on July 5, 1958 in the city of Guantánamo. He began his artistic studies in 1976 at the Escuela de Arte de Oriente El Caney de las Mercedes, obtaining the first record of his specialty. He continued his studies at the National School of Art Instructors and at the National Center for Artistic Education, obtaining the title of teacher, in 1994 he graduated from ISA with a degree in Folkloric Dance.

In 1985 he created the 10 de Octubre Group, made up of workers from different sectors of the Guantánamo province, that same year he alternated with the Jagüey group, made up of students from the Pedagogical Institute of that province,

He encouraged the creation of several folkloric companies in the province of Guantánamo, where the foundation of the Babul Folkloric Group stands out, and together with the North American teacher Elfrida Mahler the Danza Libre company. He is the founder of the ISA Danza group in which he was the first dancer.

In the province of Guantanamo I work as a provincial methodologist and as a dance teacher at different levels of education. He is currently a professor at the National School of Art (ENA) and the Higher Institute of Art (ISA).

In 1994 he created the BanRarrá folkloric company in Havana, of which he is its general director. He is a first-rate choreographer and specialized teacher, his artistic work has transcended nationally and internationally, he has carried out the artistic and choreographic direction of shows developed by international companies from countries such as Canada, USA. He has an extensive repertoire as a choreographer and as a composer of various pieces performed by the group’s accompanying orchestra.

He developed various investigative works that many were included in the curricula of different levels of artistic education in the country. Due to his theoretical and practical knowledge, together with his experience in dance matters, he has maintained an active life advising Graduate Thesis at the Instituto Superior de Arte. He has given special classes to professional folkloric companies from the provinces of Guantánamo, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey and Havana. He has collaborated in events such as Bailando en Cuba, Plaza Cuba and Caribeean Dance among others.

I work as a main professor in the teaching of several international courses, in universities belonging to countries in the area of ​​Latin America, North America and Europe. He has held conferences, master classes and professional exchanges on Cuban popular dances, showing the influence of African culture on the cultural traditions of our country.

He maintains an active professional life focused on research work, mainly on the influence of Franco-Haitian culture in Cuba, and peasant dances, taking as a reference the most representative settlements of that culture in the Guantánamo province (Maisi, Imias, Yateras and Baracoa), stands out his choreographic contribution to Changüí, Quiriba, Nengon, Aeroplano and Manajú ​​Pilón, among others.

He has been a member of UNEAC for more than 30 years, a member of the National Commission for the Evaluation of Performing Arts and the Institute of Music. He has worked as a folklore adviser for theater groups. and has worked as artistic director in Días de la Danza

National and international awards

He has won several national and international awards

Recognitions and distinctions

1989 Obtained the Laureates seal.
Raúl Gómez García Distinction.
Special Lorna Burdsall Award from the Association of Performing Artists of the UNEAC, for all her creative work.
Special recognition from the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Traditional Arts of Colombia (CIOFF).
ACHE distinction granted by the Camagüey Folkloric Ballet.
He obtained the distinction for National Culture.

2022. Tropical Gypsy Award. Highest distinction awarded by the Directorate of Culture of Havana.

1st Dancer, Professor and Choreographer of the National Folkloric Ensemble of Cuba.

Raúl Gómez García Medal, awarded by the Cuban Ministry of Culture.

National Order of Culture, granted by the Ministry of Culture of Cuba.

Tribute Gala for 50 years of artistic career sponsored by the Teatro America in Havana.

Choreographer 1st level Okantomi Folkloric and Performance Company

Festival tribute to his figure for the technical-methodological contribution in the manifestation of La Rumba sponsored by the Municipal Directorate of Culture and the Casa de la Cultura Joseito Fernández “Festival Chano Pozo”

I began my first steps at the Casa de la Cultura in the square when I was 12 years old, later moving on to amateur groups such as Dacha Ewue, later to the San Carlos group directed by the teacher, dancer and choreographer of the Domingo Pau National Folkloric Ensemble. . Later at the Tropicana cabaret where I stayed for a few years, then at the Hotel Capri, Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Cabaret Parisien, Playas del Este, Pino Mar Walcamar, The Quartet of Friends, Beatriz Márquez’s group, Casa Central de las Far, Opina Magazine , until I retired and became self-employed and remaining in the circle of founders of the casino in Cuba, where I remain active dancing. I also had the chance to participate in competitive casino events as a winner, for example the Drum Festival, also in International festivals in France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Egypt, etc.

Professional dancer, teacher and choreographer. Founder and director of the independent dance project Tierra Kaliente. Graduated from the Professional Dance Academy “José María Heredia” in Santiago de Cuba. As a teacher, he began his career teaching the subjects of choreographic composition, folklore and methodology at the EVA José María Heredia, training intermediate level and elementary level dancers. He has worked for companies such as Ballet Folklórico de Oriente, where he served as 1st soloist; in the company Sabor DKY Shows, also as a solo dancer and choreographer; in the Legendarios del Guajirito project and is currently part of the Ban Rarrá folkloric company and of course Tierra Kaliente. He has accompanied on stage musical groups such as El Niño y la Verdad, Septeto Santiaguero, Orquesta Aragón, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, Orquesta Anacaona, Grupo Sierra Maestra, Pupy y los que Son Son. He has also shared the scene with the singers Teté García Caturla and Félix Baloy, and with the actor Alden Knight. She danced at a private reception for the famous artist Maddona and her family during a visit to Havana. He has participated in the filming of videos of musicians such as Alain Pérez, Haila, Septeto Santiaguero and others. He has also performed on local TV shows in Santiago de Cuba and also on national TV shows like La Banda Gigante. She has been invited to festivals and other dance events in countries such as France, the Netherlands, the United States of America, Colombia, Russia, Israel, Tunisia, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, Guadeloupe, Belgium, Iceland, Chile and others. He has participated in festivals such as Rueda Salsa Festival (San Francisco, USA), Festival Agua (Medellín, Colombia), A lo Cubano (Stockholm, Sweden), Balagan (Eilat, Israel), Viva Cuba (Biezenmortel, Netherlands) , Nordic SalsaCamp (Brandjberg, Denmark). In Cuba, he has performed at events such as the Caribbean Festival, the Cahoba Mask Festival, the Son Festival, the “Pepe Sánchez” Trova Festival, the Santiago de Cuba Salsa Festival and Ritmo Cu

First dancer, specialized teacher and choreographer of the National Folkloric Ensemble of Cuba

.Ramiro Guerra Award in 2018 for the best folk performance of the year throughout the country.

.jury on occasions of the control tests of the teaching school of the acosta dance company directed by the teacher CARLOS ACOSTA.

.soloist for three years of the show company of maestro SANTIAGO ALGONZO.

Soloist for five years of the Cuban traditional dance company JJ, directed by maestro JOHANES GARCÍA.

.trips to all the provinces of the country, offering our dance art, as well as to countries such as:

Algeria, the Saharawe Republic, China, France, Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, Spain and Japan.

.Belonging to the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). And to the Association of Sais Brothers (AHS)

Full Professor Dr. C. Bárbara Balbuena Gutiérrez has 40 years of professional experience. She studied at the Higher Secondary Level at the National School of Art, graduating as a teacher-dancer of Modern and Folkloric Dance (1978) and then at the Higher Level at the Higher Institute of Art in the Bachelor of Dance Art career, in the profile of Folkloric Dance (1991). He completed the Diploma in Ethnology at the Fernando Ortiz Foundation (University of Havana. 1998).

During his professional career he has taught the disciplines: Modern Dance Technique, Universal History of Dance, Choreographic Composition, Repertoire and Performing Practice, Cuban Dance Folklore, International Folklore, Folk Dance Teaching Methodology, Teaching Practice, History of Cuban Dance Folklore, Analysis and Criticism of Folk Dance, Folk Dance Research Methodology, Dance Creation Workshop, History, Theory and Criticism of Dance, and Methodology for teaching artistic practices.

She has held various teaching responsibilities: Head of the Folk Dance Department, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts at ISA, Dean of the Faculty of Dance Art, member of the Scientific Council of the Faculty and Coordinator of the Master’s Degree in Theoretical Studies of Dance of the FAD. She is also President of the Career Commission of the Faculty of Dance Art and of the Permanent National Tribunal of Scientific Degrees. He is a member of the Academic Committee of the Master’s Degree in Art Formative Processes. He is part of the research and criticism section (Performing Artists) of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), and of the Commission of Experts of the Council of Performing Arts of Cuba.

She served as general director and choreographer of the ISADANZA Folkloric Ballet from 1996 to 2013. She has participated in different artistic shows as choreographer and artistic director of this group, in Cuba and abroad.

The teacher has taught different training and postgraduate courses in her specialty, tutoring to college students and foreigners, as well as various seminars at Art Schools (Ballet and Dance) on Modern Dance technique, Choreography and Folkloric Dance. He has also carried out different consultancies to professional groups of theater, ballet, dance, music and academic institutions of medium-professional and higher level. From 1993 to date, he has given international Folk Dance courses and conferences on various topics of Cuban Folklore and consultancies in Colombia (Barranquilla, Cartagena de Indias, Medellín, Bogotá and Cali), Mexico (Guadalajara and DF), Santo Domingo, Turkey ( Istanbul), Switzerland, Austria (Vienna), Germany (Berlin, Passau and Munich), Norway (Oslo) and the United States (Syracuse, New York).

She has participated as a choreographer in several National Festivals of the Ballet and Dance Schools, obtaining three awards for Best Folk Dance Presentation. He has been a speaker at National Pedagogical Conferences, Latin American Meetings of Artistic Education, Folklore Festivals, Danzón Festival, CUBADISCO, Wemilere, programs of the Cuban Institute of Anthropology, Casa de África Museum, Center for Psychological and Sociological Research (CIPS), Conferences ISA scientists and other national and international events, obtaining awards for different investigations carried out.

She has carried out several tele-classes on the subject of folkloric dances of Afro-Cuban, Franco-Haitian, Hispanic background and Cuban ballroom dances, for the programs: University for All, Origins, Artists’ Looks, as well as for different programs of the Educational Channel of Cuba.

From 2006 to 2015, she served as the Teaching and Artistic Director of the “Baila en Cuba” event, an international meeting of dancers and dance academies, sponsored by the cultural tourism agency Paradiso and Artex.

Member of the Group of Experts of the JAN in the ISA; the Friends of the Country Economic Society (Culture Section); the Editorial Committee of “Toda la Danza”, a Cuban magazine of criticism, theory and history of dance; and the Editorial Board of the Magazine “Perfiles de la Cultura Cubana”, of the Juan Marinello Cultural Research Institute.

It has two choreographies of his own in the professional folkloric dance company “Camagua”, directed by the MSc. Braking Medrano: Awán, in September 2011, and “Rumbiando”, from 2014.

I was born on April 23, 1948 in Havana into a humble family.

From a very young age I began to express my inclination towards the artistic world. I was part of small-format musical groups and participated in the first DAAFAR amateur festivals, standing out in percussion and alternating this with my participation in the Havana Carnival, in which I was a member of the very popular troupe “Los Guaracheros de Rule”, of which I was his main pointer.

I was linked to the dancers of Casino from my human relations in the Guaracheros de Regla, among which were Miguel Arocha Calderín, Ortelio Parra, Nildo Delgado, Armando Aguirre (Mandy) and others with whom I frequented at the beginning of the decade of In the 1960s the Club Ferroviario, the Club La Costa de Cojímar, the Círculos Sociales Náutico and Patricio Lumumba, the Curros Enríquez and the Liceo de Regla to which I was linked for 17 years as Festival Secretary of its Board of Directors and Artistic Director, as well as a dancer and musician.

I began studies in 1963 at the School of Art Instructors specializing in Dance and Musical Shows.

In 1966 I joined the National Directorate of Music of the National Council of Culture, performing the position of Activities Coordinator and attending to the programming of the Cuban Modern Music Orchestra (which was born at that time), of the “Amadeo Roldán” Theater, Loa National Library of Cuba, the Fine Arts Theater Hall and the programming of foreign artists invited to the country. Since 1976 I have worked as President of the Havana Carnival Jury, a task that has been entrusted to me in all these years on several occasions.

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In 1967, with the appointment by the Ministry of Culture of maestro Rafael Somavilla as National Director of Music, he became Head of the Programming Department of the National Music Directorate and in 1978 I fulfilled responsibilities as Deputy Director of Programming of the National Center for Artist Recruitment. .

All these tasks are combined with participation in the Organizing Committee of the Varadero International Music Festival in the years 67, 70, 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85 of the last century as well as in the International Guitar Festival in the 82 years. 83, 84 and 86 and previously at the International Choir Festival in 1974, 75, 76 and 78.

With the dismemberment of the National Center for Artist Recruitment and the formation of future national companies, I am assigned the task of organizing and directing the Musical Company “Ignacio Piñeiro” of which I was its first Director.

In 1980 I was appointed to study at the intermediate level for Cuadros de la Cultura and at the end in 1981 I joined the Provincial Directorate of Culture of the City of Havana as Head of Programming.

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Since 1988 I have been in charge of the representation of the internationally renowned IRAKERE Musical Group, work that I have carried out for 9 years. Later I assume the representation of the musical group HABANA ENSEMBLE.

I participated in international Jazz festivals in the Netherlands, Spain, the US, France, England, Germany and Japan between the 80s and 90s. In summary, I traveled to 48 countries carrying the cultural message of our country in these years.

In the events in which I participated with Irakere, in addition to being its Manager, I worked as a percussionist and went out to dance on stage.

In January 1999 I held the General and Artistic Directorate of the Varieties Theater “América”, a position that I currently hold, my work being decisive in the rescue of the Varieties Theater and the strengthening of the “América” ​​Company, which has resulted in the artistic catalog principal of the Institution with very significant successes in Spain, France, Mexico, Monaco, Italy, Holland, Brazil, Colombia, Portugal, the People’s Republic of China and others.

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I was selected by the “Mario Santo Domingo” Foundation as a Member of the Jury of the Carnival of Barranquilla, Colombia, Cultural Heritage of Humanity. For several years I have carried out that responsibility by participating with invited artists in giving conferences. In 2009 I was accompanied by Lázaro Valdés, Mundito González and Changuito and since then several outstanding figures from the best of Cuban culture have attended the event.

I have taught popular dance classes in Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. These classes have been accompanied, in a complementary way, by conferences on the subject in question.

I have chaired for several years the Jury of the “Bailar Casino” Program of the Cuban Television and later the program “Bailar is something else” that was recorded biweekly in our Center during the year 2009. Prior to this they were performed at the Teatro de Varieties “América” ​​the events “La gran fiesta del Casino” for three consecutive years with awards for the first places among the dancers from all over the country who participated. This event gave way to the television program.

Since the year 2000, the event “Praise” began at the Theater, of which I am the General Artistic Director. This event brings together the main dance companies in the entertainment world with excellent results. Among them we can mention: Tropicana, Cabaret Parisién, Ballet of Cuban TV, Cía. Dancer from Santiago Alfonso, Camagua, All Star from Santiago de Cuba, Havana Queen and others.

Since 2010, the Artistic Teaching Unit for the training of integral dancers of the Musical Theater was created and approved, which I direct, being the first of its kind and a national reference center. It is currently developing its fourth course with excellent results. In its development, subjects such as Classical Duet, Spanish Dance, Country Dances of National Folklore, Modern Dance have been incorporated as specialized workshops and conferences, and this year the Aesthetics Workshop is projected as a way of improvement for the students of the Artistic Unit. Representatives of the same participated in the last Symposium of the City obtaining the 2nd. Place in your Commission.

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In relation to my personal improvement, although I am a Pharmacy Technician and graduated from the Facultad Obrero Campesina, I qualified as an Art Instructor, Percussionist, Artistic Director, Microcomputer Operator and I have joined the improvement courses as a State Staff convened by the Provincial Directorate of Culture, among them: Legal Improvement, Distance Course on Political, Ideological and Cultural Preparation, First Level of Directive 014 of the Minister of the FAR, Update R-24, Political Ideological Improvement of the Provincial School of the PCC “Olo Pantoja” and Colinas de Villarreal, as well as I have systematically participated in the improvement of Directors on alternate Saturdays as well as in the plans for improvement of internal Cadres of my Institution and I maintain attention to my reserves.

The Teatro de Variedades “América” ​​achieved in 2003 the status of National Vanguard Collective and Héroes del Moncada Center, standing out among other issues for its excellent community work with the development of cultural expansion workshops aimed at improving the population, among which that appear: Popular Dances, Singing, Acting, Hairdressing and Theatrical Makeup, Massage, Aesthetics and those of Popular Dances and Percussion for Foreigners. This community work extends to the Work Centers of the area in which practical activities have been carried out, as well as in presentations in Provincial Centers, Theaters and Specialized centers of the MININT and the FAR, mainly the workshops of Popular Dances.

The Teatro de Variedades “América” due to its status as City Theater is the permanent headquarters of political and mass organizations (PCC, UJC, FMC, OPJM, CENESEX and others) in their galas, commemorations and special anniversaries).

Awards and recognitions received:

• Raúl Gómez García Medal for 25 years in the Culture sector.
  300th Anniversary of the founding of Regla.
  Coordinator and founder of the Cuban part of the participation of our artists in the International Carnival of the Arts in Barranquilla, Colombia for 15 years. It is one of the most important cultural reflection events in the Hemisphere. Recognition for master classes of Popular Dances in Rome, Italy, Germany and Holland.
  Recognitions as Barranquilla Carnival Jury.
  Honorary Member of the Regla Artistic and Recreation High School.
  Outstanding picture of the Culture of the City of Havana for several years.
  Illustrious Son of the City.
  Outstanding Picture of the Theater of Varieties “América” ​​from the year 2000 to date.
  Honorary Member of the Galician Artistic Society.
  Western Army Merit Diploma.
  Recognition “Tropical Gypsy”
  Recognition for positive efforts to guarantee the holding of the Havana Biennial in Casablanca and participation in it.
  Recognition for his participation and chairing the commission for the rescue of the traditional celebrations of the town of Casablanca in the month of July 2015, 2016 and 2017.
  Member of UNEAC
  Recognition of the Organizing Committee of the XXVI Boleros de Oro International Festival
  Medal for the 495th Anniversary of the City.
  Acknowledgments for the 75th Anniversary of the Theater.
  Diplomas and acknowledgments from political and mass organizations, as well as provincial and national agencies, companies and centers for the shows performed at the Theatre.