WORLD MUSIC

The group will present dance and drum workshops in addition to performing.
By TRACEY D'ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Youngstown was in the right place at the right time.
Anita Lin, artistic director at Ballet Western Reserve, said luck also played a role in helping her land a performance by a well-known Afro-Cuban dance troupe.
"I was in Cuba for a couple of weeks studying with them, and I was lucky to kind of persuade them. They had one booking at that time at Washington, D.C., and then they got another booking for Chicago. They asked how they would get from D.C. to Chicago, and I said, 'Well, I live in a place right in the middle.'"
Lin said she persuaded them to perform in Youngstown en route to their Chicago performance, although their American performances are limited.
Ballet Folklorico Cutumba Santiago de Cuba, often referred to simply as Cutumba, will perform at YSU's Spotlight Theater Oct. 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. A dance in the lobby will follow the Friday performance, during which the drummers and dancers from the company will mingle with the guests. On Saturday, Chrystal's will host -- and cater -- the dance.
Blend of traditions
Lin said the Cutumba is a group of dancers and musicians whose performances reflect Cuban, Haitian and African tradition and also have strong roots in the Latin and Hispanic styles. She said she wanted to have the troupe perform during October because it is Hispanic Heritage Month.
"They are an unbelievably vibrant company from Cuba -- probably one of [Cuban leader Fidel] Castro's favorite companies," Lin said. "They have remained very faithful to the traditional Afro-Cuban style, and they've really worked with their interpretation; they're very theatrical, and their costumes are just brilliant."
Lin said their performance was almost canceled when their entry visas were revoked, but they were able to get them back and continue with their plans.
The dance company will also present three workshops for the public before Saturday's performance. The workshops will cover beginning and intermediate Afro-Cuban dance and drumming technique.
"The style of Afro-Cuban drumming is so different from the beats and the rhythms we have in America," Lin said. "Any drummers -- high school drummers or YSU students in the band -- they are all welcome to come here and participate in the drumming seminar with the Cuban drummers."
Not ballet
Lin said the beginning dance workshop is for anyone who would like to try Afro-Cuban dance, and the intermediate workshop is for those with some experience in Afro-Cuban dance. She said although the troupe uses the word ballet in its title, people should not mistakenly think the dance style is ballet.
The company has 22 members of musicians, dancers and vocalists, but there will be only eight of them in this performance, Lin said. She added that seats are limited, and she expects the performances to sell out quickly.
The event is sponsored by Ballet Western Reserve, YSU's College of Fine and Performing Arts, The Partners for Workforce Diversity and YSU's Community Diversity Council.