Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

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DANC 1016

Salsa Culture and Performance

Salsa Culture and Performance: Hybridity in Social Change
In this course we will learn beginner-level salsa technique: New York Mambo style, Caracas street style, as well as elements of Cuban Casino style. Students will master variations of the salsa basic step, turns, connecting steps, and arm work. Through the study of salsa’s history, political dimensions, lyrical content, and matrilineal legacy, students will develop an understanding of this artistic expression as a dance form, musical genre, and as a voice of resistance and liberation for Caribbean and Latino cultures. We will investigate the legacy of Celia Cruz, Gloria Stefan, Omara Portuondo, and La Lupe. Class discussions, brief writing assignments, and creative projects will serve as opportunities to reflect upon and expand our understanding of the form.
Miguel Castillo Le Maitre is a dancer, choreographer, and performer from Caracas, Venezuela. He holds a bachelor’s degree in dance and theatre from Middlebury College, and an M.F.A in Choreography and performance from Smith College./
Subject:
Dance
Department:
Dance
Division:
Arts
Requirements Fulfilled:
AMR PE WTR

Sections in Winter 2023

Winter 2023

DANC1016A-W23 Lecture (Castillo Le Maitre)