WELCOME TO
cubaila viena
Your dance community for authentic Afrocuban dances in Vienna! For over 10 years we have been specializing in Cuban salsa (Casino), Rueda de Casino, Styling (Salsa Solo), Reggaeton, Rumba, Afro and Son, thus being the only dance community in Austria to offer a comprehensive program of Cuban dances. With passion and much delight we impart dance competences and skills in long-term courses that build upon one another and organize both regular as well as special dance events.
OUR TEAM
Musically and conceptionally, cubaila viena is managed with great dedication by founder Joanna. Every year she enthusiastically visits Cuba and various Cuban festivals all over Europe to develop her own dancing and also get inspiration for the cubaila viena course repertoire, which she then passes on to all cubailer@s with tremendous joy. Joanna primarily teaches Casino (in couples), Rueda de Casino and Rumba Guaguancó. In the Lady Styling courses (estilo mujeres) as well as the choreo group "Cubailarinas" she can indulge in her passion for feminine expression in dance, incorporate her Reggaeton, Rumba, Afro and Son skills, and inspire others.
It is Joanna's goal to unite all Cuban dance styles under one roof and to make them accessible to a larger audience through dance workshops and parties. Apart from teaching, her many responsibilities also include marketing, advertizing, social media, event management, DJing and much more.
Co-founder Martin – El Papi – is primarily responsible for the organization and administration of our workshops and semester groups and keeps the overview. Always on the lookout for new impulses and ideas for his own dancing and cubaila viena in general, he loves to travel to Cuba and a number of Cuban festivals every year, from where he usually returns with new moves, turns and didactic approaches for the courses. Full of personal charm, enthusiasm and an eye for even the smallest significant detail, he mostly teaches advanced Casino Partnerwork and Rueda de Casino as well as courses for beginners, occasionally also his further passions Son Cubano and Casino con Dos Mujeres. In addition, Martin coaches as yet less experienced cubaila viena instructors and supports them in imparting their skills and knowledge in a didactically sound manner and making their courses both entertaining as well as educational.
Viktoria was 5 years old when she took her first dance steps. By age 17 she had tried a variety of dance styles, been to numerous dance camps and participated in various battles. During her search for something new she came across Cuban salsa, and that started a new chapter in her life. She has been living in salsa rhythm for 7 years now, taken workshops to improve her dancing, and at every opportunity gone to salsa festivals abroad where she learns from and lets herself be inspired by renowned instructors. In her teaching Viktoria emphasizes interpreting the music through one's dancing, with body movement playing a prominent role. At cubaila viena she has been teaching Casino, Rueda de Casino and Lady Styling at different levels since 2018.
At the early age of 10, Pät discovered the drums, and the ensuing fascination with music and percussion – especially also in Cuban music – has remained with him to this day. At 16 he started going to ballroom dance school, which he did 4 times a week for several years. After a year in another rueda group, he joined cubaila viena, where Pät extensively expanded his Cuban dance repertoire in the then rueda team and – with his characteristic persistence – at as many training opportunities as possible. The more he immersed himself in the music, the more his devotion to Son Cubano emerged. Diligently and with great attention to details Pät acquires further knowledge and skills for our courses, in which – as instructor for more advanced Casino and Rueda de Casino – he enthusiastically contributes to passing on the cubaila viena spirit to many dance enthusiasts. Due to his penchant for perfectionism, he also never forgets that most important aspect "fun and joy" in and with dancing!
Isabella has been a passionate dancer since her earliest childhood. She started with ballet, then transitioned to pop and jazz dance in her school years until as a teenager she found her passion in classical ballroom at the dance school, which accompanied her for several years and led her to start training to become a dance teacher. During her university years she met Martin and found out about his love of Cuban salsa. After some persuasive effort, Martin got her to come to a taster class, and since then life without cubaila viena has become unimaginable. She has been taking courses since 2015, has been to Cuba with cubaila viena twice, and also attends festivals to continue her development as a dancer. At cubaila viena she teaches more advanced Rueda de Casino and Casino Partnerwork groups as well as Son Cubano.
Vienna resident Yusimi Moya Rodriguez from Havana, with dance background at Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA) and Conjunto Folklórico Nacional, among others, is an extraordinary contemporary dancer and professional choreographer who has long been inspiring Vienna's timberos and timberas by spreading her love for Afrocuban dance and culture. Her workshops combine attention to detail with unbelievable power and energy, masterfully challenging mind and body. At cubaila viena Yusimi regularly teaches Cuban Body Movement and also supervises the ladies show group "cubailarinas". In addition, she frequently conducts special workshops and is a fixed member of the artists at our Menéate Viena Festival.
As mechanical engineer, Hans also wanted to do other things during his studies than
just staring into books on mechanics and machine parts, so a few years ago he started his life as a dancer with cubaila viena . Once he had been to his first Cuban festival, there was no holding back, and since then Hans has been nurturing his love for Afrocuban culture. Especially the Cuban Rumbas and Afrocuban folklore are his biggest passion. At cubaila viena Hans teaches Man Styling at various levels as well as Rumba Guaguancó.
Osmel Penton, better known as Relámpago, is a professional dancer and choreographer from Cuba currently based in Vienna. Diversely trained in traditional Afrocuban culture as well as modern dance and musical theater, Osmel started his dance career in Cuba as First Soloist of the famous folklore dance company Raices Profundas, which gave him elegance, precision and strength in his movements. At cubaila viena he teaches Afrocuban dances (primarily Orishas) as well as advanced Cuban Man Styling and Cuban Reggaeton (Reparto).
Andrea started to dance at a very young age. Inspired by her mother, she tried out a number of dance styles such as ballet, belly dance, hip hop, zumba and ballroom, always searching for a community that would regularly be dancing together with passion, enjoy doing it and consistently raise the level. Finally, in 2015, she found cubaila viena and has since then participated enthusiastically. Andrea attended many courses over the years, currently she dances in the most advanced Rueda de Casino group "Churros" and in advanced lady style groups that also perform shows. In addition, she continues her training at workshops and festivals, and she's also been to Cuba with cubaila viena to get to know Cuban dancing first hand. For some years now she has been teaching Basics courses at cubaila viena , and it is great fun for her to pass on the joy of dancing.