Danza Contemporánea de Cuba can look back on over fifty years of history. Founded in 1959, in the year of the Cuban revolution, it reflects the island and its inhabitants in many ways. Dance in Cuba is venerated to an extent matched only by a few countries in the world, and thus the country’s longest-standing company is especially prized. Its repertoire however, is not limited to Cuban tradition, but ranges from the complany’s own Georges Céspedes to Spain’s Rafael Bonachela and Sweden’s Mats Ek. What choreographers especially appreciate about the dancers: they offer the rare combination of polished technique and genuine dedication. They pursue less perfection than emotional connection and thus bring authenticity and life into the choreographies.

Miguel A. Iglesias Ferrer
Miguel A. Iglesias Ferrer has been leading the company for 26 years. As he entered into his role, he took over an ensemble that was largely shaped by Martha Graham’s modern dance. He “infected” the company with other influences, for example with the techniques of contact improvisation, as they were developed in the early 1970s in New York. Under his guidance, the artistic means of expression as well as the repertoire were broadened, also through collaboration with international choreographers. And so an ensemble emerged that could stand alongside the great companies of the dance scene. This has also always included strict professional training in different techniques, with which Ferrer can ensure the professionalism of his dancers. Iglesias Ferrer has a consoling anecdote ready about his handling of the notorious underfunding of the company: “our dreams are so great that money could never make them real”.

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