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2019 Understanding my Heritage Through the Deconstruction of Social Dance: With a Focus on Cuban (Casino) Melissa Cobblah Gutierrez

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THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

UNDERSTANDING MY HERITAGE THROUGH THE DECONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL

DANCE: WITH A FOCUS ON CUBAN SALSA (CASINO)

By

MELISSA COBBLAH GUTIERREZ

A Thesis submitted to the School of Dance in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with Honors in the Major

Degree Awarded: Spring, 2019 1

In its historical context, casino is a partner dance form that originated in the 1950’s in

Cuba. It started to be practiced in recreational societies, clubs and ballrooms also known as casinos. Cubans attended the events held in these locations mainly to get away from their daily routine, have fun and be able to enjoy and dance to the national and latest international music played by famous musical groups. El Club Casino Deportivo is the location where casino first began to gain recognition as a new dance style. People started to frequently use the term of dancing in a rueda (which means wheel/dancing in a circle) like it’s done at the casino, which eventually is how the name got stuck by saying “Let’s do the rueda of casino”. The evolution of this form has been molded throughout time by the influence and emergence of several dance styles in , which have contributed significantly to the Cuban culture. These dance forms include la , la Danza, el Danzón, el Danzonete, el Chachachá, el Son and lastly el

Casino.

The recreational societies in Cuba were divided by race. The artists or musical groups that were hired for these events, depended on the categories of the clubs and the race of the attendees. As deemed by society in what’s considered to be the highest quality venues, the orchestras presented were considered of a higher label. The attendees in these particular venues had a better economic status and were predominantly white. Some of the orchestras hired were

Casino de la Playa, el Sonora Matancera, Hermanos Martinez, Roberto Faz y Arsenio

Rodríguez, la de Belisario López, la Banda Gigante del Benny Moré, Hermanos

Castro and los Casino. If the event was organized by black people, which were usually located in Los Jardines de La Tropical or de La Polar, they would still hire popular musical groups but not the ones who played at the other venues. Some of these include Arcaño y sus

Maravillas, Sublime, América, Riverside, Aragón, Melodías del 40 y Sensación. Two of the 2 musical genres being played by these orchestras, which served as pillars for the foundation of casino are son urbano and chachachá.

Son urbano originated in the rural zones of Cuba, such as Guantánamo, Baracoa,

Manzanillo and Santiago de Cuba. This style is considered to be the most representative dance form that emerged from the underprivileged communities in the country. It started to expand on the 20s and 30s and reached a higher popularity in the 50s. The rhythmic and choreographic patterns of son had a big influence in the formation and structure of casino. The essence of Son’s basic step executed with the timing of the rhythm (presenting the structure for all Afro-

Cuban rhythms) can be experienced during casino’s basic step. They are both executed in a 4/4 time signature, by having steps for the first three counts and pausing on the four count. The spatial and corporeal design was also another element passed from son urbano to casino. There are several steps that exist in son that can also be seen in casino, allowing us to observe another way that son influenced this dance form. Some of the steps include turns of the woman around the man, slow and fast turns, arms combinations and constantly going from an open to a close couple position.

Chachachá is another dance style in Cuba that highly influenced the formation of casino.

Enrique Jorrín, a famous violinist, composer and director in Cuba was the author of this genre. It was popularized in 1951 with his song La Engañadora, and it was created mainly to have something different from the music genres already existent in Cuba. There is not a clear timeline on how chachachá was originated as a dance form. It’s just known to be developed by the youth in Cuba’s clubs and ballrooms, specifically in La Silver Star (which was attended by black people) and in Prado y Neptuno. Chachachá’s basic step is definitely different from casino’s basic step, but this dance style influenced casino spatially and choreographically. Some of the 3 movement combination done in chachachá are also seen in casino and son. These include going from an open to a close position and combinations of slow and fast turns. A significant element that this dance style contributed to Casino was the rueda. Rueda started to be executed with chachachá at the end of the 1950’s. In a circular formation, couples constantly move clockwise and counterclockwise while they exchange partners and execute different movement combinations and spatial designs. The different patterns are called by the bastonero, which is the leader in the rueda. Everyone participating should already know the steps, in order to make the rueda flow smoothly. In 1956 was when the rueda started to make its presence in casino, allowing it to develop throughout time by adding more steps and different spatial patterns to it.

Still to this day people around the world keep adding movements to the rueda that are inspired by daily experiences, reason why the form is in constant evolution. Chachachá also introduced the element of having a moment to dance separately from your partner, giving the opportunity to showcase your skills as a soloist. This is a characteristic commonly seen in Casino nowadays.

The first part of this project took me on a different route, in regards to my research strategies. I was originally going to conduct an ethnographic research in a Tallahassee Latin dance social setting. But after reflecting, meeting and taking advise from Hannah Schwadron. A scholar, writer, choreographer and FSU assistant professor who uses ethnography as one of her methods of research. I took notice that I was going to enter (with a limited time frame) into an extensive field of research, without having the basic tools and necessary knowledge to fully expand on it. I also realized after my proposal defense that this project was more about my role as a Cuban native and seeing how that influences my choreographic process, instead of trying to emulate other people’s experiences. This is when I decided to shift the emphasis of my project from “ethnographic research” to “choreographic research”. This is also when I decided to change 4 this work from being a quartet to a solo work choreographed on myself, as suggested by my committee. Even with this change I still continued to attend and engage in my previously selected site (Studio D Latin nights on Thursdays) for a period of 10 weeks, but focused mainly on my own social interactions, emotions and experiences. Taking notes of the patterns and dynamics being executed in that space, allowed me to start thinking in how to approach my choreographic process.

Studio D is a dance studio space in where many classes are offered throughout the week, including this Latin dance event on Thursday nights. It starts with a class at 8:00pm that varies every week from being salsa, bachata or kizomba, which cost $10. The social dancing starts from

9:30pm-12:00pm. The owner of the location called Miriam Watkins, is usually always at the door to charge the $5 dollar fee for the social dance portion. Usually you see the same people come to this event. Some people decide to dress nicely and some just come in shorts and a t-shirt, so there is not a set dress code that you must abide to. Personally I like to dress nicely, especially since I know I am going to be dancing with other people. You also see people from a wide age range, starting in the 20s and going approximately all the way to the 60s. After the class is over, the lights are turned off and colorful strobe lights are turned on. Although alcohol is not sold, this change in lighting gives it a club atmosphere. After you pay at the front desk, there is a black bench on the left side where people sit to change their shoes, have a small chat or watch each other dance. This is the same place where I’ve been able to sit and observe the dynamics that occur during the event.

One of my main observations is the relationship that each dance couple engages in. They not only connect to the rhythmical pattern of the music, but also connect to each other (some more than others) allowing the dance to flow more smoothly. When I am social dancing, I am 5 also constantly looking for that connection which makes the dance much better. I notice that it’s not about how many moves the man or woman can execute correctly, in order to have a good dance. It’s more about the connection established between both by listening to each other kinesthetically, which makes it a memorable partnership. But also, I am aware that not everyone can establish the same relationship. In Casino the man is constantly leading the woman to rotate around his axis, while executing many patterns and arm movements. The woman is responsible for following the lead, keeping the timing and showcasing the moves. As I started to take these observations and seeing how they influence my choreographic practice, it started to unveil the other subject that I am exploring in this research about the coexistence between social and concert dance. This relationship established with each couple, made me think in how can I as the performer also create a connection with the audience? Being that I am engaging in a solo work for the deconstruction of a dance that is done by a minimum of two people, how can I make the audience my partner in some way?

Another relevant observation was in seeing how the couples that danced casino were engaged in a constant circular rotation, which is one of the main attributes of this form. This allowed me to start thinking in how could I implement this characteristic in my own work, as a way to emphasize more the essence of casino. Also taking the significance of the circle by it symbolizing community, allowed me to understand better what type of energetic quality I was striving for. One of the most essential aspects that I observed throughout my attendance at Studio

D, was how people will go there to escape from their daily routine, release tension and just enjoy a fun night of dancing. This is when I started to understand better the role that dance was playing in this community. It gave them the opportunity to come together and enjoy each other’s company, while being able to express themselves through movement and establish a connection 6 with other people. With this I started to formulate many prompts used in my choreographic process to develop ideas and formulate movement. Some of these prompts include words such as community, release, freedom, connection and self-expression.

In this latin social dance setting just as in many others that I’ve attended in Tallahassee,

FL such as Privé, Cancun’s, Café Taverna and Tampa Salsa Bachata Festival in Tampa, FL usually women wait for the men to ask them to dance. Even though nowadays women don’t have a problem asking men to dance (as I’ve done myself), is not usually what happens at these events. This dynamism existent between both genders, takes me back to two of the questions that

I was exploring: How have gender roles influenced Casino throughout time? And how is the relationship between women and men established? Graciela Chao, a dance professor in Cuba stated during her interview in the documentary La Salsa Cubana by Eric Johnson and Sarita

Streng “The one who direct and guides the dance is the man and the woman follows. But there needs to be harmony between the couple because if not the dance doesn’t work. And this is part of our culture, in how we feel as Cubans the relationship between men and women…The women here are very important, but is not a feminist movement that denies the value of men. I think we complement each other really well.”1 Being able to experience casino as a spectator and as a participant, allows me to understand better the relationship established by each gender. Although this dance is usually lead by men, it can still be considered a mutual conversation. This is because men are supposed to make the women look good and allow them to have a good time, while the women should also make them look good by keeping the right timing and knowing

1 Johnson Eric, Sarita Streng, La Salsa Cubana,”premiered 2011 at San Fransisco, LA, video, 16:40 -17:08,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQIRxyNkeU4 7 how to follow. Without a lead or follow there can be no Casino, so they have an interdependent relationship which is what makes this dance happen.

After researching about the history of Casino and recollecting the experiences and observations taken at Studio D, I was directed towards the second phase of this project which consisted in lab work at the studio. By deciding to take the committee’s suggestion of making a solo work, I was confronted by many questions that started to unfold throughout the process.

Some of these questions were: How can I still reproduce the dynamics of casino, practiced by a minimum of two people as a soloist? Is emulating this energetic quality something that I want to strive for? How can I let the process influence me, instead of me trying to influence the process?

I decided to start by deconstructing certain rhythms existent in casino and seeing how they translate in my body through improvisation, while drawing from elements of my previous training in West African and contemporary. The reason I decided to let myself be influenced by my previous training, is mainly because I am not necessarily trying to reproduce Casino in its pure form on stage (because for this I would need a partner). But I am actually trying to see how the elements in this form influence my own choreographic process, which draws upon the different techniques that I’ve trained on.

The main rhythm that I decided to explore was the clave rhythm, which is essential in all

Afro-Cuban rhythms. I started to explore and see how I could embody with different body parts the essence of the clave. But could this actually ever be embodied or is it just movement produced by the influence of a rhythmic pattern? The movement that was emerging from this exploration felt so organic and familiar, that I discovered that I’ve actually been using this cadence more frequently that I’ve had imagined. Even going back to other works that I’ve choreographed such Multiethnic and Mumo mli Ta, I took notice of how unconsciously I have 8 used this rhythm to choreograph certain sections. I also started to reflect upon the idea of establishing a connection with the audience and breaking the fourth wall, so that they engage in an active spectatorship just as Michael Sakamoto, an interdisciplinary artist and scholar at the

University of Iowa argues in his article titled Soil:

By the dancers performing their mutating and fraught identities through their desire both for and against such distinctions, we hope to invite audience members – most of them American – into an active and reflective spectatorship”2

Having an active spectatorship doesn’t necessarily mean for the audience to physically participate in the performance, but is about influencing the viewers to become more engaged with the work. Although I was planning to mainly establish this connection through eye contact, focus and kinesthetic movement approach, I decided to also insert some audience participation. I believe this would emphasize even more the dynamics experienced in a social dance setting, which is grounded in giving and taking energy. That is why I decided during the performance to persuade the audience to clap the clave rhythm, so I can use it as my sound score and continue on the exploration of this rhythm. This is also a way of using the audience as my dance partner, without them necessarily knowing about it. During my showing in the theater, I will actually ask the audience to come closer and sit on the stage with me. This is so we can establish a more intimate space, therefore breaking the 4th wall and creating a sense of community.

In the beginning of the work I start sitting on a chair, positioned on center stage. There is four yellow fabrics attached to the chair and also a long African fabric, which I constantly wrap and unwrap myself with. This constant play with the fabric is metaphorically referencing to how we are endlessly wrapped in our ancestral memory, either in a conscious or unconscious state.

2 Michael Sakamoto, “Soil,” Performance Research, (June 2016): 104. 9

The usage of the yellow fabric refers to the many layers that ancestral memory can hold, and how by trying to explore and investigate more about ourselves we can actually uncover many of those layers. The usage of the chair is mainly to facilitate my movement with the fabric and also to represent the ancestral realm that is ever present throughout the piece, by it holding space in the center. The work then evolves into the deconstruction of the clave rhythm, starting with myself and then inviting the audience to clap with me while I continue this exploration. After this section I slowly stop, which also signals the audience to slowly stop clapping. I start to walk in a circle clockwise and counterclockwise around the chair, which goal is to try and echo the energetic and kinesthetic motion of a rueda de casino. But will I ever be able to truly convey this motion? This is when the drummer Avion Wright, who I am working with, joins me by playing rhythms that will serve as a base for my continued movement exploration. My relationship to the drummer consists of a mutual conversation, that we establish as we feed of each other’s energy and take cues from one another.

Rueda de Casino has a large variety of movement vocabulary that has been developed throughout time in several regions, which can easily reach to 150 movement combinations. I decided to focus on the deconstruction of the six most common that I’ve observed and experienced myself during rueda, in order to fully invest in the execution of each step. These are:

Echevarria, which consists of opening and closing the legs quickly while standing and keeping a cool aesthetic with the upper body. Pal piso which consists of dropping to hit the floor with the hand, while staying on the right beat. Un fly consists of taking a moment to clap both hands up, towards the outside of the circle, also keeping the beat. Dile que no is about dragging both feet to the side, almost simulating a sweeping motion. Ni pa’ ti ni pa’mi consists of shifting weight side to side cross laterally, while reaching the opposite hand to each side. Setenta por las manos is 10 executed by tapping the ball and heel of the foot on the floor, then hitting the ankle of that same foot with the hand and going side to side rotating the shoulders forward (with the arms down and hands in fists).

When I was researching more about these patterns I discovered that a version of dancing casino as a soloist was already presented in 2015 by Bernt Rygg, Yuliet Estrada Linares and

Reidun Svabo, with help from Yohan Corrioso. This style is called Ábaco!and was developed because many times at events there would be more follows than leads, so the people who didn’t have a dance partner will go inside of the rueda and do the same steps that are called by el bastonero but in solo practice. These steps are merely based on the women’s footwork, since both men and women have different steps during each movement combination. This style also uses elements from Rumba. Being able to find this dance, allowed me to use it as another tool when engaging in the deconstruction process. They actually have a website in where they teach each of the steps through videos and encourage people to learn and spread them across nations.

During the deconstruction, I observed several videos of groups, couples and soloists dancing casino such as Lisandra Garcia, Victor Gonzalez, Tanja Kensinger, Jorge Burgos, La rueda de Guanabacoa, Diana Rodriguez, Yoandy Villaurrutia and Sabor DKy. This was done as a way of breaking down step by step, each of the six movements selected. In this process, I found myself learning new patterns but simultaneously recognizing many of the moves that I had practiced before. After being able to perform figuratively each combination as a soloist, I started to join them together consecutively which allowed me to create a movement phrase. At the very end of the piece I go back to the chair, untie 3 of the yellow fabrics from it and throw them out into the space. This symbolizes that there is layers of me that I’ve been able to explore and uncover. But I also choose to leave the fourth yellow fabric on the chair referring to the idea that 11 there is still things that need to be investigated, since I believe life is never ending journey of self-discovery.

During this project I discovered many things about myself and about my past in Cuba. It made me recall a significant past experience that hadn’t been in my mind for years, in where I used to sit as child with my grandfather at the edge of a building in the first floor facing a highly transited street. In this space we used to play a game, which consisted of who could say faster

“Ese es mío” meaning “That is mine”, in regards to the cars that were passing by. We would wait for the cars that we liked the most to pass by and claim them. We also sometimes chose a color and claimed each car that would pass by with that color. The person who would say faster “Ese es mío” would win the game. Why did we used to play this game? I have no idea. But I remember it was definitely fun at the time. Although my grandfather used to play this game with me as a way of spending a good time and keeping me energized, I started to analyze and dig deeper about the real significance of this game. One of the realizations that emerged was the fact of my grandfather never being able to own a car, based on the strict economic and political situation in Cuba. This game was an unconscious way of him claiming his desire for having a vehicle, but never having the opportunity to own one. Also another reason would be that he wanted to make sure that I claimed it for myself, as way of declaring that one day I would have a car since he wasn’t able to. Seeing how much depth went inside of this experience that I only previously saw as a simple game, inspired me to want to work with this idea in the future and explore its concept in a choreographic work. The working title for this piece would be “¡Ese es

Mío!” The exclamation points on both ends highlights the urgency of the game, while simultaneously emphasizing what is mine (in this case my heritage). This work will potentially contain some sections and patterns explored in this particular research, which will serve as a way 12 of continuing to develop this project. I’ve actually started to touch basis and investigate some elements of this new piece in my Senior Capstone work.

At the start of this HITM work, I decided to use the beginning sound score of the documentary La Salsa en Cuba by Eric Johnson that I watched several times and that highly impacted my process. The soundtrack consists of a series of responses gathered from Cuban residents, answering to the question of “What do you feel when dancing Casino?.” Since they are talking in Spanish I am using projections with the translated text, in order to allow the non-

Spanish speakers in the room understand what’s being said. I decided to use this text, because I particularly believe that the honesty and humbleness carried by these individuals when they speak about Casino, sincerely expresses how I closely feel about the form. As I indulge with the

African fabric that I wrap and unwrap myself with and simultaneously listen to their words, this also allows me as a performer to connect more deeply with the context of the work. Therefore allowing me to start creating the energy and dynamic needed for this piece. I also use it as way of introducing the concept that I am exploring, through a recollection of different perspectives instead of giving a generalized view on the form.

Although I am focusing on my identity as a Cuban native, I also find it imperative to reference the Cuban population’s input, who are essentially the ones who gave life to the form.

One of the responses stated by one of the interviewees in the documentary La Salsa en Cuba by

Eric Johnson and Sarita Streng, heard at the beginning of my piece is “I feel truly Cuban because

I am Salsero”3 After seeing the evolution of casino throughout time and being able to listen to

3 Johnson Eric, Sarita Streng, “La Salsa Cubana,” premiered in 2011 at San Fransisco, LA, and filmed at Havana, Cuba, video, 16:40 -17:08, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQIRxyNkeU4

13 these testimonials, I’ve been able to find a deeper understanding of how much value this form actually has for the Cuban population. After all the political and economical hardships that

Cubans have had to endure, casino was one of the principal mediums in which they were able to find escape, release and freedom. It was also their method of continuing to engage and move together as a community, serving as pillars for each other. Cubans needed a voice to speak and express themselves and casino gave them that voice. Today I use this form passed on to me by my mother, as way of understanding better my heritage and reclaiming my roots. I am also in constant investigation of how I navigate through space as an artist and choreographer that is

Afro- Latina, currently living in the US.

In the book El Casino Y La Salsa En Cuba by Bárbara Balbuena, a Cuban modern dancer and teacher, she explains how she did research and wrote a book about Casino because there is no other document in Cuba that is addressing the evolution and elements embedded in this form.

I hope that with this project, I am able to start provoking and inciting more discussions about this dance genre that has played such a significant role in the Cuban population throughout time.

Eventually, I wish to inspire others to go further in the research and deconstruction of this vibrant and rich form, which has so much to offer in every community.

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Media Archive of Inspirational Materials

All these are videos of Casino dance, which served as a source of inspiration and movement analysis to my thesis:

1.“Cuban – Casino Style Salsa,” published July 2012 at Havana, Cuba, video, 1:38, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzrW_k0upt0

2. IslandTouchChannel, “CSBF 2018 – Ataca & Tanja Social Dance (Fri),”published April 2018 at Chicago Salsa & Bachata Festival, Chicago, IL, video, 4:37, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEhUjjFQMdc

3. “Marka Registrada – Perdoname – (Official Video – Salsa Cubana) (Salsa Cuban Style),” published February 2017, video, 4:23, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TYACvUwajI

4. Niquibestia, “Pure Cuban Salsa in the Center of Havana (Paseo del Prado),”filmed March 2017 at Prado, Havana, Cuba, video, 5:04, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVczWZir0po

5. Niquibestia, “Salsa Cubana (casino) en La Habana, Cuba (Lisandra en 1830),”published August 2017 at club 1830, Havana, Cuba, video, 5:13, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxNyxF3nkCo&list=RDGxNyxF3nkCo&index=1

! 6. Niquibestia, “ pura “a lo Cubano” – Sin Susto (ediciòn completa) - salsa rumba timba cubana,” published April 2018 at Havana, Cuba, video, 5:07, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7FrBER6t8M

! 7. Niquibestia, “Lost on you – Dance Salsa Cubana / casino romántica en Habana Vieja – Timba rumba cubana”, published December 2017 at Havana Vieja, Cuba, video, 4:45, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=584e0BVU3Ks

! !!!8. Niquibestia, “Salsa cubana en Malecon, La Habana, Cuba (Victor y Lisandra),” published April 2017 at Havana, Cuba, video, 5:04, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fySaApGalk

9. Rodriguez Diana, Yoandy Villaurrutia, “Salsa casino,” published November 2011, video, 2:08, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vpd2lzpfNUw 15

10. Rodriguez Diana, Yoandy Villaurrutia, “Show by Yoandy Villaurrutia & Diana Rodriguez on HWS2016,” published November 2016, video, 5:30, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLHyRKVcB5g

11. “Rueda de Casino en Cuba,” published June 2015 at Havana, Cuba, video, 7:42, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4jaXaC1P04

12. “Rueda de Casino,” published July 2011, video. 5:52, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s2IVHrPNCc

! !!!13. Sabor Cubano, “Rueda de Casino Sabor Cubano in Santiago,” published January 2012 at Santiago, Cuba, video, 5:59, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS58jwxQPFg

14. Salsa House TV, “FClan con Salsa House - Yo Vengo De Cuba,” published January 2013 at Havana, Cuba, video, 5:25, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMAk3HgjjvE

! 15. “Salsa, Rueda de casino "Casa de la Trova" Santiago de Cuba,” filmed February 2011 at Santiago, Cuba, video, 4:35, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xpjG-mV5qc

**The historical research is primarily derived from the book El Casino Y La Salsa En Cuba by Bárbara Balbuena, a Cuban modern dancer and teacher & the documentary La Salsa Cubana by Eric Johnson and Sarita Streng:

1. Balbuena, Bárbara. El Casino Y La Salsa En Cuba. Havana, Cuba: Editorial Letras Cubanas, 2003.

2. Johnson Eric, Sarita Streng, “La Salsa Cubana,” premiered in 2011 at San Fransisco, LA, and filmed at Havana, Cuba, video, 16:40 -17:08, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQIRxyNkeU4

16

Bibliography

1. Balbuena, Bárbara. El Casino Y La Salsa En Cuba. Havana, Cuba: Editorial Letras Cubanas, 2003.

2. Johnson Eric, Sarita Streng, “La Salsa Cubana,” premiered 2011 at San Fransisco, LA, video, 16:40 -17:08, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQIRxyNkeU4

3. Sakamoto, Michael. “Soil.” Performance Research, (June 2016): 104.

4. Rueda.Casino.“Rueda de Casino.” WordPress, (2019) http://rueda.casino/rueda-structures