Join Anaya Latin Dance for our 5th annual National Hispanic Heritage Month event…"Cubanía: A Celebration of Cuban Dance Heritage”!

This fun weekender festival will feature dance workshops, performances, social dances, community, culture, live music, and more. Our celebration this year includes various locations (Open Space Alaska, the University of Alaska Anchorage, and Williwaw Social), and local businesses, most events open to all ages, and fun parties that go hand-in-hand with a culturally immersive experience a lo cubano. The purpose is to celebrate this special month while sharing dance knowledge and artistry, drawing local community connections, and shining a spotlight on Cuban dances at the heart of the Latin dance world both as roots and as living contemporary expressions. Genres include salsa/casino, rumba, Afro-Cuban/Yoruba, mambo, chachachá, son, and more!

Our special guest instructor this year is Wilfredo Guilbiac from Cuba. Wilfredo is a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher with a degree from Escuela de Artes Varietur in Havana, Cuba. While there, he specialized in Afro-Cuban technique, modern dance, and Cuban popular styles and worked with some of the country’s most important names in these fields. International performances and teaching gigs at dance festivals have taken him to Germany, France, Curacao, Mexico, and all over the US. Wilfredo was also selected as a judge in the first annual World Latin Dance Cup with producer Albert Torres. Currently, he teaches classes in San Diego and is the artistic director of Cubata Dance Company.

We will have workshops this year with Wilfredo Guilbiac (from Cuba/California), Anaya Latin Dance (from Cuba/Alaska), and additional guest instructor Felix Bambury-Webbe (from Cuba/Alaska). This is a great opportunity for new dancers looking for an introduction to the salsa and Cuban dance world and to join a great local group of friendly dancers. It is also perfect for experienced dancers looking to broaden their horizons and take advantage of training in the Cuban genres that virtually all of the top Latin dance pros around the world seek out in order to enhance their coordination, body movement, movement vocabulary, and conceptual understanding of Latin dance.

If you're only interested in the entertainment, then you won't be disappointed either! Performances will include at least four shows from Anaya Latin Dance, Felix Bambury-Webbe, and Wilfredo Guilbiac as well as a concert from Alaska's newest & best Latin band, Uno Jazz Orchestra! Our social dance parties will also be highly animated and interactive with fun for everyone who likes to move. Don't miss this once yearly weekend full of Latin culture, positive energy, and cubanía!

You can purchase individual tickets online to any single workshop/party evening or workshop day, or you can purchase a “full pass” towards the full weekend which includes access to all events. It will be possible to attend only specific workshops, but all pricing will go up at the door! We thank you so much for your support of our local small business, Anaya Latin Dance, for supporting the arts, dance, and culture here in Alaska, and for celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month with us.

Click here to see the full schedule, or check our website for details. A summary schedule is below:

FRIDAY: "NOCHE RUMBERA", 6:30 - 10 pm

LOCATION: OPEN SPACE ALASKA, 630 E 57th Pl, Anchorage, AK 99518

DRESS CODE: "Calle" - Comfortable and casual clothes to dance in, plus a handkerchief (men) or long skirt/long scarf (women)

DOORS @ 6:30 pm, light refreshments available

7-10 pm: EVENING WORKSHOPS & WELCOME PARTY ($34 online or included in full pass)

7-9 pm - Rumba columbia and rumba guaguanco with Wilfredo (all levels, no partner contact)

9-10 pm - Rumba circles & welcome party

"SALSA SATURDAY", 10 am - 10 pm

DAYTIME LOCATION: UAA FINE ARTS (HARPER STUDIO), 3640 Alumni Loop, Anchorage, AK 99508

DOORS @ 10 am, refreshments TBC

10:30 am - 4pm: DAYTIME WORKSHOPS ($60 online or included in full pass)

You can expect 5 hours of workshops (Salsa with reggaeton, Cuban salsa, Cuban son, Salsa suelta, and Rueda de casino), all geared towards both beginner and intermediate/advanced dancers and with Wilfredo and Anaya Latin Dance

EVENING LOCATION: WILLIWAW SOCIAL (21+), 609 F St, Anchorage, AK 99501

DRESS CODE: "Club" - Bright colors, flashy, especulador(a), gold accessories, trendy/moda, fashion, 2022

DOORS @ 5:30pm, dinner and drinks available to order from Williwaw

6-10 pm: EVENING WORKSHOP & SOCIAL DANCE PARTY ($16 online or included in full pass)

6-7 pm: Beginner Cuban salsa class with Anaya Latin Dance (in partners but rotation is optional)

7-10 pm: Social dance with DJ Vorteks as well as performances and animations with Anaya Latin Dance, Wilfredo, and Felix

SUNDAY: "DIA DE CULTURA", 10 am - 10 pm

DAYTIME LOCATION: UAA FINE ARTS (MAIN STAGE THEATRE), 3640 Alumni Loop, Anchorage, AK 99508

DOORS @ 10 am, refreshments TBC

10:30 am - 4pm: DAYTIME WORKSHOPS ($60 online or included in full pass)

You can expect morning Afro-Cuban/Afro-Haitian dance workshops with Wilfredo and with Felix and afternoon mambo and chachachá workshops with Anaya Latin Dance. All workshops will be geared towards all levels and without partnering.

EVENING LOCATION: UAA FINE ARTS (MAIN STAGE THEATRE), 3640 Alumni Loop, Anchorage, AK 99508

DRESS CODE: "Salón" - Vintage, 2 tones, Dressed up, flowy skirts, Guyabera, elegance, camisa/button-up shirt, mid-century/30s-50s

DOORS @ 6:30 pm, refreshments TBC

7-10 pm: EVENING CULTURAL GALA, CONCERT, & SOCIAL DANCE ($30 online or included in full pass)

7 pm: Dance performances including Afro-Cuban/Yoruba and multi-disciplinary presentation by Anaya Latin Dance called "El Pregón", which is focused on the calls of the Cuban pregonero, or street vendor, as a facilitator of community connection in daily life, whose poetic, rhythmic, and singing announcements have in turn inspired many musical compositions popular throughout Latin America. The presentation features both rumba and son music and dance, theatrical elements, and features live music. "El Pregón" is a collaboration with local musicians and Enlaces Alaska, a local Latin nonprofit. 

8-10 pm: Social dance with live Latin music from Uno Jazz Orchestra, playing salsa, son, mambo, and chachachá, with fun animations from Anaya Latin Dance and guests Wilfredo and Felix.

Theatre seating will be available with dancing to take place on the main stage floor. Social dancers - dress your best, because you are part of the show!

PASS OPTIONS:

• $34 - General Public Friday “Noche Rumbera” Pass

Access to both Friday night workshops and the welcome party at Open Space Alaska. Purchase this ticket here!

• $60 - General Public “Salsa Saturdays” Daytime Pass

Access to Saturday daytime workshops held at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Purchase this ticket here!

• $16 - General Public "Salsa Saturdays" Evening Pass

Access to the Saturday night workshop and dance party held at Williwaw Social.

PURCHASE THIS TICKET ON OUR “SALSA SATURDAYS” EVENT PAGE

•   $60 - General Public "Día de Cultura" Daytime Pass

Access to the Sunday daytime workshops held at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Purchase this ticket here!

• $30 - General Public "Día de Cultura" Evening Pass

Access to the Sunday evening performances and social dance held at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Purchase this ticket here!

• $170 - General Public Full Pass (GREAT DEAL!)

Access to all workshops & events. This pass will also be available at the door, but prices will go up!

Saturday evening is 21+. Save $60+ off door prices for individual events, and this pass also includes 1 free guest for our "Salsa Saturdays" events on August 27 and September 24 if you buy it in time! Purchase this ticket here!

• $160 - Anaya Latin Dance Fall 2022 Student Full Pass (BEST DEAL!)

Access to all workshops & events. This pass is available online only and student status will be verified. In order to purchase this pass, students must have already attended/reserved & paid at least 1 class or private lesson at our studio during our Fall 2022 session (Aug 15 - Nov 5). Classes start at just $15!

Saturday evening is 21+. Save $70+ off door prices for individual events and $10 off the online General Public pass. This pass also includes 1 free guest for our "Salsa Saturdays" events on August 27 and September 24 if you buy it in time – but you must have attended your studio class(es) prior to this date!

PURCHASE THIS TICKET ON OUR STUDENT REGISTRATION WEBSITE

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR ONLINE TICKET SALES WITH NO FEES TO YOU!

Remember, ticket sales will close 2 hours before each ticket option begins, and all prices go up at the door!

Don't forget to click “going” on this event on Facebook, and follow our social media channels for updates, including our official workshop schedule and other special details, as the weekend draws near!