page_title: La tecnica cubana
section_title: Plurality of Influences
hierarchical_section_title: La tecnica cubana / Plurality of Influences
caption_attribution_description: Español: Flamenco en el Palacio Andaluz, Sevilla, España English: Flamenco performance in Palacio Andaluz, Sevilla, Spain
context_page_description: La técnica cubana, often abbreviated as técnica, is a form of Cuban contemporary dance that was founded by Ramiro Guerra Suarez in Cuba in 1959. Unlike other forms of traditional Cuban dance, técnica fuses many different dance forms together, such as those from Africa, Europe, and North America. It is a highly expressive and robust dance form, incorporating many quick jumps and undulating movements of the torso and pelvis. Técnica blends a high amount of movement and expression with a degree of synchronization, producing an athletic, theatrical dance form.
  Técnica was founded directly following the 1959 Cuban Revolution. The Revolution was driven by ideas of socialism and a lack of Cuban nationalism, which brought about major change to the political, economical, and social realms of Cuba. The new Castro regime provided funding and government support to expand the arts, and thus técnica, a new revolutionary Cuban dance form was established. The similar timing of técnica’s birth allowed the dance form to incorporate many revolutionary ideas—boosting Cuban nationalism and providing a sense of national and personal identity for Cubans.
context_section_description: La técnica cubana is a hybrid of Afro-Cuban dance traditions, European ballet, rumba, flamenco, Cuban nightclub cabaret, and North American dance. The goal in creating técnica was to establish a distinctly Cuban modern dance form that represented Cuba's multicultural population.
  The major African dance traditions currently in Cuba are derived from four major African groups: Carabali, Kongo-Angolan, Arará, and Yoruba. African heritage is characterized by dance rituals and orisha worship. Each orisha, or spirit, has his or her own gestures, footwork and rhythms that correspond to Yoruba legends and beliefs. Distinctive features of Afro-Cuban dance traditions, such as movements of the arms and head and presence of vibrant music, are incorporated within la técnica cubana. Técnica celebrates the vibrant African heritage and fuses aspects of their dance technique into técnica’s style.
  European ballet techniques are also highly prevalent in técnica. European ballet is characterized by big turns, multiple jumps and precise balance. Técnica dancers are well known for their high jumps and completion of multiple turns across stage, as so are their balletic counterparts. Ballet also boasts a strong lower body foundation, which is coupled with the African-tradition use of the arms and fused into técnica’s technique. European ballet style is also a key component of the training of técnica dancers. Ballet, with its international fame, contributes to the style of técnica alongside Afro-Cuban dance traditions.
  Técnica also included aspects of rumba, a traditionally Cuban dance that arose as a secular genre of Cuban music. The stylistic techniques of the elongated torso and flexed posture in rumba are present in the stance of técnica dancers: knees are bent and the body is tilted forward from the hips. Técnica combines the rhythms, chants and posture of rumba and incorporates them into the multifaceted style of la técnica cubana.
  Influences from the Spanish-based Flamenco dance can also be seen in técnica. The vibrant use of the arms and hands in the dance technique of técnica is derived from floreo, flourishes of the hand, and port de bras, arm movement, in Flamenco dance.
  The dance elements and techniques from these strong dance forms are all reflected or subtly referenced in técnica. La técnica cubana merges a unique blend of indigenous and external dance forms to create a new modern form that is the heartbeat of Cuban dance. It is a hybrid dance form, intertwining many of the dance legacies in Cuba, all while still grounded in the modern, social context of Cuba. Técnica was created intentionally to reflect the diversity of Cuban culture and to include a plurality of dance influences.
caption: Use of the hands in Flamenco dance
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