Abstract
This chapter examines how, although Cuba and the United States did not have formal diplomatic relations in the 1960s, dance exchanges continued apace across the “sugar curtain.” More specifically, U.S. modern dancers worked with Cuban counterparts throughout the decade. These collaborations included both U.S. expats, who had relocated to the island and worked for years with Cuban dance companies, as well as short-term choreographic and teaching residencies by visiting U.S. dance artists. In both cases, U.S. choreographers in Cuba took a critical stance on their country of origin. They staged critiques of U.S. materialism and racism, which resonated with Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s denunciations of U.S. imperialism and assaults on the 1959 Cuban Revolution. In many ways, this case study provides an example of the pitfalls and relative failure of U.S. public diplomacy as Cuban and U.S. dancers found common ground in their disaffection for the North American nation. As U.S. and Cuban dancers worked together, they found common causes and degrees of difference in their political approaches and artistic visions.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | US Public Diplomacy Strategies in Latin America During the Sixties |
Subtitle of host publication | Time for Persuasion |
Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
Pages | 213-239 |
Number of pages | 27 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781003825159 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781032155661 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2024 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Arts and Humanities