Celebrate Cuba’s Independence Day this Saturday, May 20, at Richmond's first-ever Afro Cuban Mini Fest. The festival, an all-day event, will be held at Dogtown Dance Theatre and aims to share Cuban culture, music, dance, food and cinema, as well as their ties to African heritage.
Kevin LaMarr Jones of Claves Unidos (which translates to "United Rhythms" in English) organized the festival. Claves Unidos regularly hosts dance productions and events, including a free African Roots community dance class on Saturday mornings at Dogtown Dance Theatre.
“My influence and inspiration for the event came from attending festivals,” says Jones, who has also traveled to Cuba. “I wanted to bring Cuban influence to the Richmond area.”
Jones, who teaches the free community dance class, says he wanted to draw many different dancers and cultures all together for one big day. The festival is composed of seven events, four of which are dance workshops.
“We have a great community of dancers, so I am excited for people to see and dance with them,” Jones says.
Dancers in Cuba (Photo by Kevin LaMarr Jones)
Attendees will be able to “immerse themselves in the roots of Afro-Cuban culture and dance” by participating in dance workshops throughout the day starting at 11 a.m. The workshops will be taught by world-class master teachers Alberto Limonta, Ife Michelle and Kayce Zell.
“I am really excited to be working with Dogtown Dance Theatre, Afrikana Independent Film Festival, and our media partner based in D.C., District of Cuba,” says Jones.
Jones pitched his idea to Enjoli Moon, founder and creative director of Afrikana Independent Film Festival, who says she immediately said yes after Jones described the event as a celebration of Cuban connections throughout cultures.
Jones and Moon both say they saw the need to include a screening of a film that would highlight the similarities between cultures and how they connect, whether those connections be continental or transatlantic.
Afro Cuban Mini-Fest organizer Kevin LaMarr Jones snapped this photo of the Cuban flag on a recent trip to the country. (Photo by Kevin LaMarr Jones)
“We decided to tell this story of how Afro-Cuban culture is influenced by African roots and how it connects to the contemporary idea of Cuban culture today,” says Moon.
Afrikana Independent Film Festival will be screening, “They Are We” at 7 p.m. during the mini fest. The film examines how a family survives the slave trade by finding a connection in roots, dancing and language.
Moon says that she hopes the screening of the film will help open up conversations about the issues it highlights.
“It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be welcoming. Those who attend will learn and be enriched,” says Jones.
Tickets for the inaugural Afro Cuban Mini-Fest, taking place Saturday, May 20, are on sale now; click here to purchase a $15 ticket for any of the day's events or a $75 full-day ticket.
