»For us dancing is like talking. We are born dancing«
Eduardo Veitia, director of the Ballet Espanol de Cuba
This documentary starts with a core statement on Cuba, the philosophy of life regarding the dancing culture in Cuba. The three carrying, inspiring pillars of dance on the Caribbean island are illustrated by:
the classical Spanish influence
the Afro-Cuban roots
the Latin American mentality
In the meantime a diverse mixture has arisen from these three pillars, continuously new influences keep shaping the Cuban dance. And yet, almost everything is based on the origins mentioned above.
When the painter Christian Sommer was traveling around Cuba three years ago, he was looking for motives away from the common clichés. He found a special one he in the »Gran Teatro«, the State Theater of Havana. He got to know the prima ballerina Irene Rodriguez and painted her on several occasions in different poses. Flamenco on Cuba? A totally new aspect for him.
Most visitors to the island , but also the television viewers, associate »hot rhythms« with Cuba and the synonym is world-famous: »Tropicana«. Mr. Sommer thought, however, that there must be more that is worth mentioning about Cuba – and thus an idea was born.