16th Annual CubaCaribe Festival of Dance & Music

She Who is Queen

Featuring Ada Ara by Susana Arenas Pedroso & Arenas Dance Company

June 10-12 on Z Space’s Steindler Stage

ADA ARA is a new piece by choreographer Susana Arenas Pedroso, performed by Arenas Dance Company and guests. Inspired by the tale in which Ochún, the youngest of the Yoruba deities and goddess of female sexuality and sensuality, takes away the crown of King Changó, god of male sexuality, after he dismisses her. Her conditions for returning his crown are his respect, admiration and equality. Ada Ara will explore through dance, music and spoken word the larger message of this tale: that the world cannot be without women, their work, wisdom and hearts. It will pay homage to women ancestors who have fought for Cuba on different fronts and to the female orishas (minor gods and spirits such as Yemayá, Oya, and Ochún) who offer rich visions of womanhood in Cuba.

The new work delves into the complex role of Cuban women today in both Cuba and in the United States, underlining the physical, artistic and intellectual contributions they make to society. Although much of their work is not recognized, women often carry the weight—literally and metaphorically—of their communities and their countries. Cuban women understand the centrality of their roles in society and joyfully and proudly embrace their work in spite of it being undervalued. With their labor, creativity and ability to bring on social and political change, they embody different forms of strength and build powerful networks of womanhood.

Standing in sharp contrast to the modern American woman who has made more advances toward independence, Cuban women are still extremely limited in their possibilities. The new work looks at the ways in which women artists leaving Cuba for the U.S. maintain their culture while moving forward in their adopted homeland. It presents their personal struggles in a different economic system and artistic scene and highlights their shared experience of learning another language, system, food, climate and culture. With the growing media coverage of issues facing women in the workplace (equal pay, opportunity for advancement, sexual harassment, etc.), Ms. Pedroso’s work highlighting the important work of women and the brilliance in their minds and bodies is potently relevant.

Featuring an all-female ensemble of approximately seventeen dancers and three soloists, four drummers and five singers, ADA ARA reflects the choreographer’s specialty in Afro-Cuban folkloric sacred dance, ceremonial and folklore Yoruba traditions brought by West African enslaved men and women to Cuba and other countries during the Spanish Empire. The piece will also include secular Cuban popular dance forms such as the rumba, which grew out of urban Havana in the late 1800s as an expression of the underclass.

Show Schedule

Friday, June 10th at 8pm
Saturday, June 11th at 8pm
Sunday, June 12th at 2pm

COVID Safety Protocols

For the health, safety and well-being of everyone in our space, Z Space’s current COVID-19 policy requires all patrons and staff to be fully vaccinated and to wear masks while in the building. You will be asked to show proof of vaccination with ID before entering. Children under 5 are not currently permitted at Z Space. All tickets must be pre-purchased, we are not currently accepting walk-up sales.

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