It's that time of the year, for our long awaited annual Cuban Dance Trip! This perfect one-week package includes flight,
stay at the beautiful 4 star Hotel Nacional located at the famous Malecón seafront promenade, 15 hours of intensive dance instruction with professional cuban dancers,
and tons of fun. You can attest the fun and great experience our previous trips were (2008,
2009 and 2010), so we are pretty sure this one will be a
popular one as well.
Package includes:
Return airfare Toronto - Havana
Cuban Dance Workshop (see below)
8 days/7 nights accomodation in the elegant Hotel Nacional, breakfast included, with scenic views of Malecón's seafront
Airport/hotel transfers
Workshop includes:
15 hours of intensive instruction
Professionally trained, experienced instructors
Cuban dance partner for each participant
Sessions featuring live band
Instruction in Salsa, Casino, Son, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, Rumba and Afro-Cuban
Course certificate
Dates:
February 4-11, 2012
Cost (based on 12 participants):
$1,499 (double occupancy)
Prices include all taxes, but are subject to change.
Deposit of $725 required by December 2nd, 2011, in order to secure travel package.
Note: For deposits provided after, the total package
price may differ to reflect current ticket/hotel market prices
AfroLatino's 6th Anniversary Red & White Party
June 26, 2011
Guess who is turning 6 years old?! Join us June 26th 2011 as Afrolatino Dance Company (ALDC) celebrates our 6th birthday!
In addition to celebrating yet another successful year as a dance company and school, our anniversary party is a way for us at
Afrolatino to show our appreciation for you- our students, who make our love for dance an even greater experience.
As part of our fun-filled RED and WHITE themed celebration you will be treated to the best and latest in Cuban music,
including Timba and Reggaeton as well as Brazilian Samba and Kizomba courtesy of DJ Billy Bryans. In addition to dancing
the night away, enjoy a dance lesson courtesy of the ALDC staff, complimentary hors d'oeuvres and sizzling performances from our
breathtaking ALDC professional dancers and our 4th annual student performance group! Wait, it gets even better... with your ticket,
you will automatically be entered into our raffle for the chance to win some really great prizes!
Our anniversary parties have always been a hit, just ask anyone who has attended in previous years! If this is your first
time, you are in for quite a treat! This is a family event so feel free to bring your friends and loved ones. Impress them
with your dancing, socialize with friends and other students and experience an ALDC festivity at its finest!
The event kicks
off at 6 pm on Sunday June 26th at the Lithuanian House and remember to dress to impress in RED and WHITE!!! VAMOS A GOZAARRRR!!!
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW AT OUR 585 STUDIO LOCATION- $15 in advance/ $20 at the door.
Please see below for details:
When:
Sunday, June 26, 2011 Doors open at 6pm, close at 12:30 am
Where:
Lithuanian House
1573 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON
(1 block west of Dundas West subway station)
Price:
$15 in advance/$20 at the door
One more thing:
This is a family event so everyone is welcome! Please dress in red and/ or white as it is this year’s party theme.
Holiday Party at 585
December 18, 2010 - 585 Yonge Street Studio
The end of the year is fast approaching and it is the perfect opportunity to wish everybody a happy holiday season, specially on our last day of the year at the studio before the Christmas break.
We would like to invite you for a Holiday celebration and student appreciation event on Saturday, December 18, during our (extended) Salsa Practice session.
In addition to the usual dancing, we will have food and drinks, and even more dancing in store for you, all for the usual price of $5.
After 10PM you will be more than welcome to come with us to Lula Lounge, where the party will be continuing, to the music of the amazing Roberto Linares Brown Orchestra!
When:
Saturday, December 18, 2010 7-10pm
Where:
585 Yonge St. Studio
Price:
only $5
After-Party:
10PM onwards at Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. West (Price: $10 if you mention AfroLatino at the door)
Dance Your Heart Out Fundraiser
November 20, 2010
Afrolatino Dance Company would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported our
Dance your Heart Out fundraiser last November in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Whether you participated by dancing and collecting pledges, or by providing donations to those participants,
your care in supporting this worthy cause is greatly appreciated by both the ALDC team as well as the Heart
and Stroke Foundation.
The raised money will be used to help fund research and programs geared towards cardiovascular disease
and health, in the hopes of helping the millions afflicted by cardiovascular disease throughout
Canada and worldwide.
We are proud to announce that with your generosity, we were able to raise a total of
$1,115
We would like to give an honorable mention to
three individuals who raised well above the target of $100! These individuals are:
Jamak Moslehi
$500
Michelle Szemberg:
$215
Deb Yelland
$161
A special thank you as well to our guest artists, Raul Garcia and Melissa Noventa, who performed an oustanding rumba number.
Thank you again everyone and please check our gallery for pictures and videos of the fundraiser
AfroLatino's 5th Anniversary Party
June 27, 2010
Many thanks to all that came and made our 5th Anniversary Party the most succesful thus far! It has been an
interesting journey, with lots of joy, hard work, and no regrets.
This fun-filled night was kicked off with a beginner salsa and reggaeton lesson led by Albena and the AfroLatino
team, which really got the crowd moving and grooving on the dance floor. As always, no AfroLatino party would be
complete without the impressive performances of both the student performance group and the professional dance group.
Our student samba performers were definitely the talk of the night! With their dazzling Brazilian-style costumes
and flawless choreography, they were sure to put on a great show! The professional dancers, as well were a real crowd
pleaser as they showcased not only their talents as performers, but also the array of Cuban and Brazilian dances - such
as Salsa, Samba and Cuban Cabaret, offered through classes at the school.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the night was having our AfroLatino students come out and party with us!
Despite the thunderstorms that evening, the party was still happenin’. It was a pleasure to welcome newcomers and
spectators into the Afrolatino family, have our students mingle outside of the studio, and of course dance the night
away to energizing Salsa and sensual Kizomba courtesy of DJ Alberth Moreno and Dj Kyabu.
Our fifth year anniversary has been made possible thanks to all your support. We look forward to celebrating
another anniversary with you next year with even more fun and surprises in store. From all of us at AfroLatino we thank
you for celebrating our 5th birthday with us.
I Am Cuba: AfroLatino's Cuban Cabaret Show at Lula Lounge
May 8, 2010
Afrolatino Dance Company and Roberto Linares Brown bring us this sizzling Cuban cabaret, reminiscent of a night at Havana's
Tropicana - complete with beautiful show girls and live Cuban orchestra featuring special guests Changuito, Telmary, Angel
Luis, Alberto Alberto and Yani Borrel.With DJ Billy Bryans.
Albena de Assis, founder of Afrolatino has been a major force in creating and fostering the Cuban salsa scene that Toronto
now enjoys, increasing awareness of the cultural roots of Cuban dance through lessons, performances and a partnership with
groundbreaking presenters Okokan Productions. Afrolatino will treat the audience to a special cuban dance review as part of Lula's
I am Cuba LULAWOLRD presentation.
The performance will be followed by a dance lesson by Ana Machado. A professional dancer since she was 6 years old, Ana has
danced with Havana's Escuela Nacional de la Danza, the prestigious Compania de la Danza Moderna and as lead dancer in the
famous Tropicana dance troupe, with which she has toured the globe.
Bandleader/arranger/pianist/composer extraordinaire Roberto Linares Brown was a catalyst for the creation of Lula Lounge's
popular Havana Norte series which has featured a who's who of Toronto-based Cuban musicans. Linares Brown has been
contributing to the series since 2006 performing original compositions that became the basis of his brilliant 2008 solo
release, "Que No Se Pierda La Essencia".
A night focussing on the riches of Cuban dance culture would be incomplete without DJ Billy Bryans. As one of the best salsa
DJs in Toronto, as well as a promoter and publicist, Billy has been pivotal in bringing the music of Cuba to a wider Canadian audience.
Where:
Lula Lounge
1585 Dundas Street West (1 1/2 blocks west of Dufferin)
When:
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Schedule:
8pm - AfroLatino Show
9pm - Free dance lesson
10pm - Roberto Linares Orchestra with special guests
Price:
$20
3rd Cuban Dance Workshop Trip
February 15-22, 2010
Definitely one of the most fun-filled student Cuba dance trips we have ever organised, despite the cold and uncharacteristic weather in contrats with the previous years. But the poor weather did not damp the group's spirit, and many participated in plenty of post-past activities.
The classes were amazing and challenging as usual, bringing to many students their first exposure to the wonderful rhythms of the yambú, guaguancó, son and many more.
It was delightful to go for live concerts of Pupy y Los Que Son Son, Piloto y Su Klimax, Alexander Abreu y Habana D'Primera, and Maikel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor, some of the hottest groups in Havana these days. We also went to several clubs and performances by the Conjunto
Folklórico Nacional and Cabaret Parisien.
In a similar fashion to last year's trip, the course included:
15 hours of intensive instruction
Professionally trained, experienced instructors
Cuban dance partner for each participant
Sessions featuring live band
Instruction in Rumba (Yambú, Guanguancó and Columbia), Casino, Son, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, etc
Course certificate
AfroLatino's 3rd Winter Party
January 31, 2010
What better way to celebrate the beginning of a new year and a new decade than with one of our famous parties?
Our 3rd Winter Party was a great success despite the last minute tribulations caused by the venue double booking,
and subsequent change of venue.
The new venue, the Lithuanian House, proved to be just perfect in size and intimate
atmosphere it created. The excellent location (a few meters away from the subway), size, and self-containment of
the hall were some of its favourite points. Definitely a venue worth booking again in the future.
The highlights of the night were the 3rd Student Salsa Group Performance, whose costumes were the talk of party,
AfroLatino's own Cesar and Yareneys impressive son and cha cha cha performance, as well as the amazing dancing
provided by the music of DJ Alberth Moreno and DJ Kyabu, a great team who brought you the best in Cuban Salsa, Timba,
Reggaeton, Zouk and Kizomba.
2009 Cuban Dance Festival
October 20-25, 2009
Once again it has been proven that the popularity of Cuban dance and music in Toronto is growing steadily. This year's Cuban Dance Week was a tremendous success with many memorable and enjoyable moments! From great workshops to great shows, it is the closest we get to a Cuban dance congress here n Toronto!!!
Some of the most popular workshops were Duane Wrenn's Casino con Sabor, Cesar and Yareneys' Reggaeton, as well as Consuelo Herrera's Afro-Cuban and Rumba.
Pupy y Los Que Son Son gave a memorable concert, almost bringing the house down together with Candido Fabré that got the crowd hysterical with his amazing improvised storytelling skills. AfroLatino Dance Company received a huge round of applause for their Cumbanchero choreography, a Cuban cabaret style piece.
To end the fabulous week we had a well attended party on Sunday, at our 585 Yonge Street studio. Consuelo and Duane's surprised us with a sensual rumba and an inspiring casino dance. Truly an inspiration!
Kizomba Show and Party with Nichols
September 19, 2009
One of the great names of Zouk came to Toronto for a one night show and party, with special participation of
AfroLatino Dance Company's own dancers performing a kizomba number.
Produced by Bunda Entertainment, Toronto's premier promoters of Zouk, Kizomba, and other sounds from the African
diaspora, this was a great night of sensual dancing!
Kizomba is one of the most popular genres of dance and music created in Angola, that is becoming more and more popular
in Europe. It shares a common rhythm with Zouk from the French Caribbean islands, with the main difference being the
the language that is sung in.
AfroLatino's 4th Anniversary Party
June 21, 2009
If you missed our 4th Anniversary Party you missed quite the party! From the great
dancing, food, performances and our first ever Amateur Salsa Competition, to Toronto's debut
of Kizomba, the crowd was roaring with excitement.
A special congratulations to the top 3 couples in our first Amateur Cuban Salsa Competition:
1st Place:
Sherwin Abrazaldo & Sanja Majstorovic
2nd Place:
Vicken Serkis & Shogher Mnknjian
3rd Place:
Yurii Yavorskyi & Sally Ibrahim
Isaac's Welcome Weekend Bash
March 28-29, 2009
Our long-time and popular instructor, Isaac Herrera a.k.a. Energizer Bunny, is coming back to Toronto after
6 months in Germany. The celebration will start with a special Salsa Practice with snacks and drinks on
Saturday, March 28, and continue with a student night out to Babaluu on Sunday, March 29. Come join us for a
great weekend of dancing and socializing!
If you know Isaac from before this is a great opportunity to catch up with what he has been up to and just
welcome him back. If you haven't met him yet, then this is your opportunity to marvel at his non-stoppable
energy for dancing as well as just a plain excuse for socializing with everyone else!
Here is the plan:
Saturday, March 28
What: Drinks and snacks on the house at our Salsa Practice, plus tons of dancing When: 7 to 9pm Where: 585 Yonge Street studio Price: $5 a person
Sunday, March 29
What: Student night out to Babaluu, the best Cuban dance night in the city! When: 9:30pm til 2am Where: Babaluu Nightclub, 136 Yorkville Ave., Toronto Price: $7 for men incl. coatcheck, free for women
Dance from the Soul Weekend in Detroit
March 14-15, 2009
Organized by our dear friends from Energetic Soul,
the cuban dance school by excellence in Detroit, Michigan, this
great weekend of dance proved to be a great success and a blast!
The weekend featured body movement workshops by our very own Albena de Assis, Rueda de Casino workshops with
Julian Mejia from Salsa Atlanta,
as well as by Duane Wrenn of Energetic Soul.
Testimonials
"Thank you [Albena] so much for taking time out of your schedule, to put on the workshops at Energetic Soul. Thank also for the dance, it was a real joy to dance with you!! Come back soon."
Gregory Wright
"I had a great time at the dance workshop in Detroit. What a great group of instructors."
Rena Gibeau
"Albena, thank you so much for coming to Energetic Soul [in Detroit]. Your technique is amazing and your spirit is so sweet. We can hardly wait for the next time we can steal you away from Toronto again! Be blessed..."
Keisha Grant
2nd Cuban Dance Workshop Trip
February 08-15, 2009
A reprise of the previous Cuban Dance Workshop trip to Havana, we've been graced with amazing weather
and many different events in town apart from the always challenging and wonderful instruction received.
It was delightful to go for live concerts of Los Van Van, Pupy y Los Que Son Son,
Adalberto Alvarez, and Buena Vista Social Club, performances by the Conjunto
Folklórico Nacional, Cabaret Parisien, and the National Ballet of Cuba, all in a matter of a week!
Definitely only in Havana.
In a similar fashion to last year's trip, the course included:
15 hours of intensive instruction
Professionally trained, experienced instructors
Cuban dance partner for each participant
Sessions featuring live band
Instruction in Rumba (Guanguancó and Columbia), Casino, Son, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, etc
Course certificate
AfroLatino's 2nd Winter Party
February 1st, 2009
Another Winter party to open the year with a bang, and another success! The highlights of the party
were perhaps the exquisit performance by AfroLatino's 2nd Salsa Student Performance Group, which received
a standing ovation. AfroLatino's professional group also presented new work with inspiring choreography
and a cascade of colours in elaborate costumes.
Testimonials
"I didn't get a chance to says thanks for all the extra practice time, for the awesome costume idea and all the patient instruction (even when we thought we could never learn the stuff you were coming up with lol)! It was sooo much fun and all our friends liked it.That said, please please plan another one! "
Sally Ibrahim
AfroLatino's 3rd Anniversary Party
June 22, 2008
Many thanks to all who came to our 3rd Anniversary party, and made it such a great success. Special
thanks to all the students who performed to great delight from the crowd. The feedback has been so amazing
that we will definitely do it again. Lula Lounge was packed almost to capacity and it turned out to be the
perfect spot in terms of size and atmosphere.
Testimonials
"The party was really great. Thank you soo much for organizing the performance group. It was honestly the best dancing experience I have ever had. Also, I really have to thank you for encouraging us during the performance itself. I messed up a lot of times, and while I almost had a mini heart attack each time, you were in the front smiling the entire time. That was very nice of you. THANK YOU!"
Sally Ibrahim
"Thanks a lot and congratulations for last night, it was a great party, and the show was really good too!"
Alix Reboul-Salze
"I really loved the energy this [student salsa performance] group had and especially the part where the rueda began, every single dancer brought a burst of energy to the floor"
Rocío Medalla
Cuban Dance Festival
May 24-25, 2008
AfroLatino Dance Company and Okokan
Productions are bringing to Toronto the most exciting event of the year: a full weekend of the best in Cuban dance and music!
You will be enjoying the sounds of no other than the great
Pupy y Los Que Son Son, and the classes of guest teachers such as
Felix "Pupy" Insua,
Ana Machado,
and Duane Wrenn and Maribel Vasquez.
Prices & Packages: (Early bird offer valid until May 14)
Package Type
Early Bird
Regular
Special
Full Weekend
$115
$140
Full Weekend Pass
plus
Pupy y Los Que Son Son ticket for $160 (additional $10 off)
Saturday Classes
$55
$65
Sunday Classes
$80
$95
Drop-in
$35
$40
Location: All workshops will be held at our 585 Yonge Street studio.
1st Cuban Dance Workshop Trip
February 11-18, 2008
A week was way too short for everything this trip had to offer. While the
beach and the weather were marvelous, perfect to escape the dreaded Canadian
Winter, the highlight of the trip was by far the competent and fun
dance instruction provided at the daily workshops.
The course included:
15 hours of intensive instruction
Professionally trained, experienced instructors
Cuban dance partner for each participant
Sessions featuring live band
Instruction in Rumba (Guanguancó), Casino, Son, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, etc
Course certificate
Testimonials
"Amazing, amazing, amazing! I wanted to sign up for the next trip before I left
Cuba. I really felt as if I got to participate in Cuban culture and I loved
being in Havana. The workshops were challenging at times but exhilarating
and all the helpers were amazing dancers. I think the highlight of the workshop
was having a live band playing, now I can really hear the different instruments
when I listen to the music. Everyone was really welcoming and hospitable and
the accommodations while basic were sufficient because we really didn't spend
much time there. I found the group that I travelled with lots of fun. I would
recommend this trip to anyone, it's a must if you like cuban music and dance."
Beat those dreadful winter blues and come join us for an amazing night of Latin entertainment
and partying hosted by AfroLatino Dance Company. Free salsa lessons, door prizes, hors d'oeuvres,
performances, and many hours of the best cuban salsa and timba music.
What you will get:
DJ Billy Bryans spinning the finest and latest salsas and timbas
Performances by AfroLatino Dance Co.
Door prizes
Free salsa beginner and intermediate lessons
Hors d'oeuvres
Lots of fun!
Date:
Sunday, January 27, 2008, from 6pm 'til 11pm
Program:
6pm - Doors open
6:30-7pm - Free salsa lessons
8:30-9pm - Performances and door prizes
Location:
Revival Bar and Restaurant
783 College St. (southeast corner at Shaw)
