Curating Experiences
Every now and then we have to stop and think about how grateful we are to have gotten into the business of curating experiences through TOCA Events. Uniting people together through entertainment and the beauty of other cultures is certainly the perfect formula for helping make life so rich and varied. We all know that creating a united world comes through sharing knowledge. Travel, the arts, food, and philosophy are just some of the ways we foster a greater awareness of the similarities and beautiful differences between cultures. Through dialogue and exposure we make a collective vision that helps to empower our own individual take on the world, as well as a much wider awareness of the varied and colorful communities that exist around the globe. Sharing is the key. We are truly in a time of individual and communal transformation, with communication and knowledge at our fingertips whenever we have the desire to learn more. Creative partnerships are paving the way for greater global unity through sharing ideas, expertise, and joy. At TOCA, we emphasize this through all of our programs, collaborating with people from different cultures to bring new awareness to our audiences. As all of you readers of the TOCA blogs are well aware, we adore travel. Along with the excitement of discovering the unknown, exploring the world expands the mind and spirit. Sharing language, history, and different customs adds color and heart to life, with every location on this earth emanating its own soul. And of course, travel helps to dispel preconceptions and prejudices as we open up to the new. We have created TOCA Culture to reach into communities worldwide, enjoy their spirit, and help share this energy with our clients. Whether it is a musical tour, learning a specific craft, taking a cooking course, or enjoying a festival, a film or the nightlife and natural resources of a given region, we enjoy the sense of sharing what we have discovered… and always with a light and conscious footprint wherever we go! One person can accomplish amazing things. Companies have an even farther reach, working within their own business culture to extend outwards. In our company, we always seek to gift our clients with the exposure to something they may not have experienced before. Keeping cultures alive through awareness is just part of what it takes to create global unity. By sharing the spirit of the world, we can honor those communities that we are not familiar with, with their customs enriching our view of the world. www.tocaevents.com
The Burgeoning Dance Scene in Cuba
Having recently returned from an inspiring trip to Cuba, we were deeply affected by the spirit of the people there. Their profound love of life, indomitable spirit, and a fierce energy filled with the joy and lust for making the most of each day is ubiquitous in a place where on the surface, time has seemed to stop. One of the most striking examples of the Cuban spirit is the love of dance. The country is filled with an unavoidable exuberance that starts with music and then gathers you into its arms inviting you to move your hips and join the fiesta! With roots in Spanish and African culture, Cuban folkloric dance includes Salsa, Danzón, Mambo, Rumba, Bolero, Cha Cha, Congo, and more. Passionate and sensual, these dance forms have affected cultures all around the world, bringing people together in an undeniable spirit of celebration. With Castro in power, folkloric dance has been one of the most prevalent forms, often seen in a formal frame at the Gran Teatro de la Habana. Ballet too has occupied a strong position in Cuban culture. The Ballet Nacional de Cuba, founded by Alicia Alonso in 1948, has maintained over the years a very classical and conservative repertoire, with little variation on the standard themes such as Swan Lake and Giselle. In 1959 the Conjunto Nacional de Danza Moderna was founded by Ramiro Guerra, who danced with Martha Graham’s company in the United States. Combining ballet technique with Afro-Caribbean dance, audiences were steeped in a distinctly unique flavor expressing the Cuban spirit. The company is now called Danza Contemporànea de Cuba (DCC) and boasts 60 dancers chosen from the famed Escuela Nacional de Arte under the direction of Miguel Iglesias. Many dance aficianados are familiar with the well-known and exquisitely talented Carlos Acosta, who was born in Havana in 1973. Acosta trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba and has danced with many companies outside of the country, including England’s Royal Ballet where he has been principal dancer since 1998. Along with now retired José Manuel Carreño, who danced with companies such as the Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, and who presently runs the Carreño Dance Festival in Sarasota, Florida, Acosta remains an inspiration to young Cuban ballet dancers who wish to push the limits. Over the last several years, Cuban dance has been able to push the limits. More and more we see experimental dance companies being founded, with many young choreographers expressing their thirst for new forms. Small companies such as Malpaso are starting to make big waves in the contemporary dance scene. Founded in 2012 by Osnel Delgado, Dailedys Carrazana, and Fernando Saéz, the company consists of young dancers from some of the country’s most renowned dance schools and is acclaimed as one of Cuba’s best. Ballet Rakatan is another example of the burgeoning dance scene. Founded in 2001 by dancer/choreographer Nilda Guerra, the company combines Cuban and Latin dance styles with contemporary technique. With dancers trained at the Escuela Nacional de Arte, Ballet Rakatan tours all over the world, immersing audiences in the spice and pulse of popular Cuban dance marinated in world-class technique. www.tocaevents.com www.tocatrips.com