Cumbia Regiomontana is an urban dance style that originated fifty years ago in the northern border region between Mexico and the United States and is part of the identity of the city of Monterey, especially popular among the youth and marginalized population. It is one of the first times that the exploration of this style, technique and all the elements it combines can be experienced in a workshop format in Berlin. Alex Valdés offers a unique insight based on his extensive research project titled Cumbia en la sangre, where he researches cumbia practices worldwide. We will start with the basic steps, working on our footwork, low squads, turns and jumps before we transform them into our own body language of empowerment and expression. We will leave familiar paths, change our perspective and find new points of departure for improvisation. Cumbia Regiomontana will allow us to dive deep into the joy of dancing while developing new abilities and approaches towards dance art.

Accessibility Note 

The workshop will be held in English and/or Spanish spoken language in consultation with the group. There will be partner work, but touch is never mandatory. If participants are comfortable with touch, exercises that support energy pathways, connections and movement impulses in the body will be part of the work. Cumbia and all the genres between it will be used. Coordination and combination exercises and movement phrases to remember will be part of the workshop. The exercises require a high degree of personal responsibility as well as self-awareness and awareness of others. Information about our location & studios in Kreuzberg, which unfortunately are not wheelchair accessible, can be found here. For questions or more information concerning accessibility, please contact Zoé Duflot & Elisabeth Leopold at workshop@tanzfabrik-berlin.de