"La técnica cubana" was founded in Cuba in 1959 and is intimately linked to revolutionary ideals and social activism. The Cuban Revolution of 1959, led by Fidel Castro, transformed the Cuban economy and enacted a series of progressive social reforms in which wealth was redistributed, health care services became free of charge, and racial boundaries were diminished. Cuban nationalism was on the rise for the first time since before Spanish control. The revolutionary government employed culture as a way to unite the Cuban population and promote nationalism. In keeping with this effort to promote Cuban culture, Castro's new regime fostered expansion of the arts by encouraged the creation of new art forms. Castro's government appointed Ramiro Guerra, an accomplished dancer and choreographer, as the director of the Department of Modern Dance, housed within the Teatro Nacional (English: National Theatre) in the Plaza de la Revolución in Cuba.