Cuban salsa, also known as “casino,” is an ever-evolving style of dance that incorporates elements from different dance traditions, while maintaining the basic step and rhythm. In this introductory workshop, participants will learn the basic steps of this Cuban dance, develop a feel for the music, and learn how casino differs from other styles of salsa.

Mario Cepero Rodríguez, Instructor
Mario is a trained dancer and athlete from Camagüey, Cuba. He is a former member of the Cuban National Team for weightlifting. In 2009, he began training in Cuban popular dance. After three years of study, Mario began working in Trinidad, Cuba as an instructor with the group Salsa Underground. In 2017, he became a founding member of Barrio Cubano Escuela de Salsa, where he continued to work until 2018, when he moved to the United States. Mario has also worked as an instructor with Baila Habana, participated in the international conference Baile en Cuba, and served as a percussionist with the rumba group Manana Mendó. Mario has taught and given dance demonstrations in Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago.

Danielle Brown, Assistant Instructor
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Danielle is a multidisciplinary artist, scholar and educator, whose work incorporates music, dance, and literature. She is the founder of My People Tell Stories, and her work is based on the premise that people of color in particular, and marginalized people in general, need to tell and interpret their own stories. Danielle holds a doctorate in Music from NYU with a concentration in ethnomusicology and specialization in the music of Latin America and the Caribbean. She has studied Cuban music and dance in the United States and Cuba, and she uses the arts to educate people on the history and culture of the African diaspora, focusing especially on the Caribbean region and its diaspora.