Viera Reinoso

The fifty dancers of Yolena Alonso's Cuban Yoldance Company not only have youthful charm and Caribbean sensuality; they also have what Yolena's father, Pachito Alonso, calls her kini kini: charisma, swing and that ineffable Creole spirit.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the group has been touring world stages since 2005 with the rhythmic, Creole, versatile and glamorous ¡Viva Cuba!, the Yoldance show so much in demand within and outside of Cuba.

Backed by one of Cuba's most popular bands - Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini - some of the pieces from ¡Viva Cuba! recently captivated a demanding audience that filled Havana's Mella Theater for three consecutive days.

According to the artist, this is an open aesthetic work "without identification with any one style". With its roots in Cuban national folklore, the stories of music and dance are the stars that they reach. Apart from performing contemporary dance in its most modern forms, Yoldance also ventures successfully into shows, courses and workshop productions.

Dancer and choreographer Yolena Alonso is a member of a family with a grand artistic history. She is the granddaughter of the late Pacho Alonso (1928-1982), Cuban singer and bandleader from Santiago de Cuba who is attributed with creating the musical form pilón...