We celebrate World Dance Day. The occasion calls for a talk about two projects of that manifestation that the OHCC embraces, the oldest is the Harlequin Artistic Ensemble, which includes all the manifestations of art; although today we are taking a tour of dance.
The youngest, but no less interesting, is called Patrimonio, Rumba y Punto, and it is aimed at the formation of values in children between 8 and 14 years old, interested in musical genres, with special attention to Cuban rumba and punto.
Harlequin
Joy could be felt floating in the air, that contagious spirit that children have to be happy and cheer others, is present in each rehearsal of the little dancers of the Harlequin Artistic Ensemble.
This is how I remember my last visit to the headquarters, at the Cultural Management Center, where the project takes place as one of the oldest and most beloved of the Office of the Historian, but that was some time ago, since the social distancing imposed by COVID-19 pandemic brought silence to the hall, although not to the dancers, who continue to create from home.
What have the children done in all these months?
The harlequins have not lost their energy, from their homes they come with ideas to keep the body moving and incidentally work on the spots that make up the image of the Campaign of the Ministry of Culture: You have the Word.
They were selected to prepare this initiative, which is aimed at young people, as part of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the Words to Intellectuals speech, where we were all called to safeguard the culture that defines us. Work carried out by these young dancers in each of their presentations where they defend the identity of Cuban dance and all its rhythms.
Road to 22
Next September the project will be celebrating its birthday and to celebrate big, they will give online presentations.
They danced a son for life from home and then assured that Me dicen Cuba, because their dances describe all that makes us unique and special in the world.
Rumba and Punto
It is the youngest musical project, but with sure steps adding followers. What started with 100 children, in just over a year, now has about 500, multiplied in Culture Houses and communities, thanks to the help of art instructors and the José Martí team.
The Camagüey group Rumbatá and the traditional poets and musicians of the patio are in charge of bringing children closer to the many values of these two intangible treasures that the nation has, proclaimed as heritage.
Its slogan says it is about equity and inclusion, since it adds in its ranks children with special education needs, who sing and dance to the rhythm of the rumba or play the punto of Camagüey, from the heart and enjoyment.
Actions from virtual workshops, on guitar, percussion and vocal technique, fill the days of the project to the home classrooms, which hope to continue entering the Cuban genres, while taking care of their health.
The members of this project say that their music has the color of time, which is why in COVID time the color goes with the protection of health, which in an online way receives those with hope to returning to the scene, after the end of this terrible epidemic.
Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García
