For George Mason University junior Janine Baumgardner, Professor Jim Lepore’s fall, 2011 Dance 418: Cuban Dance and Culture course presented the perfect opportunity to combine her interests in dance, the Spanish language, and traveling abroad. The course, offered by New Century College’s Center for Field Studies, includes a trip to Cuba so that students can experience the country’s music and dance culture first-hand.
Janine and her class traveled to the eastern province of Santiago, where they worked with Ballet Folklórico Cutumba, a professional dance company. Much of the company’s repertoire includes dances traditionally offered as Afro-Cuban deity worship, and rarely performed in the United States.
“The Cubans generously shared their music and dance culture with us without any semblance of judgment, making it a perfect setting to try a different approach and jump into the unfamiliar styles of dancing without reservation,” Janine says. Sitting on the sidelines was not an option. “When someone just pulls you out onto the floor and starts to show you how to dance, you don’t have time to second-guess yourself,” Janine laughs. “You have to let go of fear.”
Janine and her group also worked with a group of young local dancers, who taught them a couples’ round dance known as Rueda de Casino. In the evening, the Cubans took the American students to live-music clubs, where the Cuban people’s dedication to dance was evidenced on the dance floor. Says Professor Jim Lepore, “I love taking students to Cuba because expressions of music and dance are on full display on a daily basis. In a world that is increasingly homogenous, Cuba offers personal experiences for Mason students based on a different model, one with deep African roots that celebrate participatory artistry.”
“I learned a lot more in Cuba than I would have in a regular classroom setting. It was an intense immersive experience,” Janine says. Now studying abroad in Spain at Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain, she dances salsa and rueda de casino at a local club once a week and travels to various Spanish cities on the weekends.
Janine’s career dreams include teaching dance abroad or perhaps in a bilingual program in the United States. “Studying abroad gives you perspective about all kinds of people,” she says. “It helps you learn who you are.”
April 01, 2012
