INSTRUCTORS CubaCamp Dos Rios 2014

INSTRUCTORS CubaCamp Dos Rios 2014 (*Line-­‐up subject to change) Silfredo La O (Modern, Yoruba/Orisha, Haitian/Vodou) Silfredo La O graduated from the National School of the Arts in Havana Cuba in 1994 where he
obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree as a certified dance professor and professional dancer. Since
1993, he has worked with the Cuban National Folkloric Company and Danza Contemporanea de
Cuba and Cutumba: Ballet Folklorico Afro-Cubano, Santiago de Cuba. Currently residing in San
Diego, Silfredo teaches at the University of California, San Diego and at Palomar College.
Kati Hernandez (Cuban Folkloric, Cuban Popular) Kati Hernandez is a native of Cuba and a graduate of Cuba’s National School of Art. She has
performed at the Havana International Jazz Festival and the Bienal Internacional de la Habana. She
toured the world with Manolito Simonet y Su Trabuco. Kati’s fiery, refined style awarded her the
invitation to tour with several Cuban music and dance productions throughout Portugal, the
Bahamas and Costa Rica, where she later resided for five years. Since moving to Los Angeles she
has co-founded KimBamBula Productions. She currently directs the company, “Dancing From the
Heart” and teaches dance classes at several southern California colleges and universities including
the University of California, Irvine.
Jose “Cheo” Rojas (Cuban Folkloric)
Jose “Cheo” Rojas was born in Guantánamo, Cuba. Rojas began to dance at a young age at the
changüicera parties next to his father and at the Cuban-Haitian parties next to his grandfather. He
graduated as a dance instructor from the Escuela Profesional de Arte de Cuba in 1988, as professor
and choreographer from the Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba in 1990, and as a folklore specialist
from the Escuela Nacional de Arte in 1996. He began his career as a professional dancer and
choreographer with Danza Libre in 1989 and co-founded and co-directed the internationally
renowned Cuban company Banrará in 1994. Having participated in several national and
international festivals, he won a Best Choreographer award in Cuba in 1998. In 1999, he traveled to
the U.S. to participate in a production of West Side Story in the Bay Area, where he now resides and
teaches. He specializes in rumba, one of the most popular rhythms and dance forms in Cuba, and
Afro-Cuban folklore, a combination of rhythms of African and Franco-Haitian influence, which
include both religious dances, such as those of the Orishas, and secular dances, such as Nagó, Gagá,
Tumba Francesa, Tajona, and Caravalí. A talented teacher, with a particular eye for dance
technique, Rojas also brings to his classes a wealth of historical and personal knowledge, making
them a rich cultural experience.
Ramon Ramos Alayo (Popular, Modern)
Ramón Ramos Alayo is a dancer, teacher, choreographer and the founder and artistic director of the
Alayo Dance Company and CubaCaribe. Ramos was selected by the Cuban government to study
dance in Santiago de Cuba at age eleven. In 1990 he earned a masters degree in contemporary and
folkloric dance and dance education from the Havana's National School of Art. He was the principal
dancer with Danza del Caribe, Narciso Medina Contemporary Dance Company and performed in
Cuba, Europe, Canada, Belize and the U.S. Since moving to California in 1997, he has performed
with some of the most respected choreographers in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Robert
Henry Johnson, Kim Epifano, Sara Shelton Mann, Joanna Haigood/Zaccho Dance and Robert
Moses' Kin. Ramon currently teaches Cuban popular dance, Afro-Cuban modern dance and
children's movement at several local dance studios and schools, and is artistic director of Alayo
Dance Company and CubaCaribe.
In 2002, Ramos founded the Alayo Dance Company. As director and choreographer, his work is an
innovative fusion of Afro-Cuban modern, folkloric and popular Cuban dance. He eloquently
articulates his aesthetic vision through a synthesis of these dance styles, citing from each traditions,
movements, narratives and concepts indicative of Cuban culture. 2003 Ramos co-founded and
became artistic director of CubaCaribe, a non-profit with the mission to preserve and promote the
rich cultural and artistic traditions of the Carribbean and its diaspora. Alayo Dance Company is the
resident company of CubaCaribe.
Jose Alfredo Carrion (Cuban Folkloric)
Jose Alfredo Carrión, born in Santiago de Cuba, began his career as a professional dancer when he was
invited to join the Ballet Folklórico Cutumba in 1980 at the age of 17. After only 3 years, José was
recognized as a “primer bailarín.” The following year, in 1984, after an evaluation by a national
panel of Cuba’s most distinguished specialists in music and dance, José was honored with the title
of professor and specialist in Cuban dance. In 1999, after almost 20 years of being a soloist for the dance
troupe, José became Cutumba’s principal dancer. Over the years, multi-talented José has also contributed
to Cutumba as a choreographer, percussionist and researcher. As a professor, José has trained
generations of dancers, many of whom still perform with Cutumba. Invited by Chuck Davis to
perform in the DanceAfrica festivals of 2002, José had the opportunity to teach in several schools
and community centers in Chicago, Philadelphia and NY. José has given master dance classes at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the Center for Creative Education in Stone Ridge, NY and
Columbia College Chicago. In October, 2005, he was the artist-in-residency at Williams College in
Massachusetts. José currently lives in Seattle and directs the Academy of Cuban Folklore and Dance.
Sandy Perez (percussion)
Ramon "Sandy" Pérez joined Grupo Afro-Cuba de Matanzas at age 17, and within a few years he
earned the positions of principal drummer and soloist. He was a featured artist at the 1996 Havana
Jazz Festival and performed at the 1996 Afrocubanismo Festival in Banff, Canada. Although the
roots of his techniques are founded in Afro-Cuban folkloric styles, Pérez's open-minded approach
has enabled him to adapt to styles ranging from Cuban popular (salsa) to fusion and avant-garde
jazz.
Royland Lobato (Cuban Folkloric and Popular dance)
Originally from Guantanamo, Cuba, Royland is a founding member of the Havana-based dance
company, 7 Potencias, an Afro-Cuban Folkloric dance and music ensemble. 7 Potencias is one of
the most creative and acclaimed Cuban folkloric ensembles, both in Cuba and internationally. A
professional dancer with an expertise in Afro-Cuban folkloric and Cuban popular dance, Royland
has also participated as a principal dancer as well as instructor, and invited guest in performances,
workshops and classes throughout the greater Bay Area, Hawaii, New York, Cuba, and Mexico.