Dancer Returns to His Home on the Stage

The hit Broadway musical Buena Vista Social Club™ transports audiences to pre- and post-revolution Havana, Cuba, exploring the island nation’s rich legacy of music and the lives of musicians who make it. For Jhon Destrade, the show is a little touch of home. https://youtu.be/tK0dx4LaVN8?si=5TfR0IwlD9ETmSTp Destrade, a Tampa resident and principal dancer with Tampa City Ballet,... Continue Reading →

October 2, 2026

Witness the Strength of Street Knowledge – A Day Talking Race, Culture and Percussion with Conga Legend Gumbi Ortiz

I. The Lesson, Part 1 “Don’t be scared! You’re tip-toeing like you’re nervous.” We were nervous. There we were, in Gumbi Ortiz’s private recording studio in Gulfport, FL, getting an impromptu conga lesson—and Gumbi Ortiz is, after all, one of the greatest percussionists alive. We don’t play drums. “Put the tips of your hands here... Continue Reading →

July 26, 2016

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