Dance Videos 2013
Yusimi Moya Rodriguez produced four videos in 2013, which were published on her Youtube channel. One video is about the Cuban contemporary dance technique, two other videos show Afro-Cuban dances as they are performed by the dance troupe Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba and the last video is an improvised dance.
Meanwhile, at the end of 2020, the video with the Yemayá dance steps has reached almost half a million views. The music was played and recorded live. Leading drummer was Christian Martinek, accompanied by Heidi Schableger and Moussa Kone.
This video shows standard or classical exercises from the repertoire of the Cuban Contemporary dance technique. It is divided into three parts: Center Work, Floor Work and Total Space Exercises.
Yemayá is the òrìṣà (Yorùbá deity) associated with the sea in Cuba, while in Yorùbáland she is known as Yemọja, a river goddess worshipped at the Ògùn river. The Cuban bàtá-rhythms played for this choreography and danced with their according steps include Yakota, Omolode, Chikini, Ñongo, Chachalokpafun. At the end there is a bembé played on tumbadora drums for a special camino of Yemayá. Lukumí (remains of Yorùbá language) songs from Cuba include Yemayá Asesú, Omolode omo titi, Oluba Chikini, Emi Odé, Chikini Alamo dan se, Awa ka ma dele o, Ba m be Odara, A m be lari oma, Okika ewa lo yure, Okiki oníYemayá. It is probably one of the best known demonstrations of Afro-Cuban dances today on Youtube with half a million views.
Yusimi Moya Rodriguez demonstrates some important Afro-Cuban dances which are used in rituals on the island. Each one comes from another part of Africa or the diaspora and came with the slave trade to the Caribbean. Music, dance and singing traditions from large parts of Africa can be found in today's Cuban culture. The rhythms and dances are presented in the following order: arará (Hebbioso) from the Gbè-speaking people of ancient Dahomey, vodú (gagá) from Haitian immigrants, congo (palo) from the Bantu-speakers of Central Africa and lukumí (güiro for òrìṣà Ọya) with roots in the Yorùbá traditions of West Africa.
This recorded dance piece was an improvised choreography entitled “I am hybrid”.