Habana Compas Dance Company Combines Flamenco, Afro-Cuban, and Contemporary Dance into One Thrilling Performance

My shirt stuck to my sweaty body as I entered the home of the Habana Compas Dance Company. The weather outside was in the low 90s, and my photography group had been doing its fair share of walking. As soon as I stepped foot inside the building, I was instantly enthralled by the artwork that traced across every space within each room.

I opened a door into a large space where many of the dancers were stretching or applying their makeup. I walked around and photographed some performers as they got ready for the show. After taking photos of the pre-show activities, I took my seat near the stage.

The dancers came out with a high level of activity as other performers beat drums and stomped on the floor. A fan sent around a slow breeze for those of us sweating inside, and sweat dripped off each performer. The show was one of the greatest dance routines that I’ve ever seen.

 

Habana Compas Dance began in 2004 and was started by Liset Herrera, a dancer and choreographer. She had a vision to combine Spanish flamenco, Afro-Cuban rhythms, along with contemporary dance.

During the performance, all three styles were included in every performance. The dancer’s arms curved and moved like a flamenco dancer as Afro-Cuban drum beats moved the performers. I jumped around from one side of the room to the other, trying to capture the movements. The drums pounded into my chest as I clicked away.

 After the performance, I felt that the world needed to know about the incredible dancers and percussionists. The Habana Dance Company put on an amazing display of passion and energy unlike anything that I have seen. I hope more eyes and ears get to experience the company in the near future and its popularity rises to that of the great contemporary dance troupes found throughout the world.

For more photos of my visit to the Habana Compas Dance performance, click here.

More Cuba stories:
Visiting Churches in Havana
Baseball in Havana
Visiting the Prodanza Ballet Studio
Visiting the Rafael Trejo Boxing Gimnasio, the Oldest  Boxing Gym in Cuba

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