Experience the flavor of Santiago de Cuba with Rachel Ortiz and DC Casineros! Join us at Dance Place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 1–5 p.m. for three workshops celebrating Cuban popular dance, musicality, and personal expression.
ABOUT RACHEL ORTIZ
Rachel Ortiz is a Cuban dance artist and instructor from Santiago de Cuba and a former principal dancer with the internationally renowned All Stars Santiago de Cuba dance company. She joined All Stars in 2011 and has performed across Europe, the United States, and Latin America. Now based in Florida, she leads her dance academy, Ahora Baila.
Rachel brings her own flavor, musical understanding, and the distinctive movement style of Santiago to Cuban popular dance. Her artistry comes from a region with a rich Afro-Cuban and Franco-Haitian cultural heritage, including Tumba Francesa, a tradition combining Afro-Haitian roots and French dance influences. This afternoon offers a chance to experience Santiago’s perspective through Rachel’s teaching and her work with All Stars.
THE WORKSHOPS
1:00–2:10 p.m. — Son Cubano Santiaguero
Explore Son Cubano through the style of Santiago de Cuba, focusing on musicality, rhythm, and the character of the dance.
2:10–2:25 p.m. — Break
2:25–3:35 p.m. — Intermediate–Advanced Rueda de Casino — Santiago
Learn moves from All Stars Santiago de Cuba, with the combinations, musicality, and distinctive Santiago style Rachel brings from her experience with the company. For dancers with Rueda de Casino experience.
3:35–3:50 p.m. — Break
3:50–5:00 p.m. — Men’s & Ladies’ Cuban Styling
Explore body movement, musical expression, and styling for Cuban popular dance, with Rachel’s personal flavor and perspective as an artist from Santiago de Cuba.
REGISTRATION
Each workshop: $25.
All three workshops: $60 — save $15!
Applicable checkout taxes and processing fees are shown during purchase.
LOCATION
Dance Place Main Theater, 3225 8th Street NE, Washington, DC 20017.
MAKE IT A WEEKEND: FRIDAY’S DC CUBAN SOCIAL
Join DC Casineros at Dance Place on Friday, October 30, from 7:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. in the Cafritz Foundation Theater for a dance class, performances, and the DC Cuban Social. Friday’s tickets are sold separately by Dance Place and are not included in the Saturday workshops or package.
Friday details and tickets: https://danceplace.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/instances/a0FTN000004Jp1J2AS
DC Casineros is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization whose mission is to build communities through the art and culture of Cuban dance. DC Casineros specializes in performing complex, flavorful and energetic choreographies based on Cuban popular and social dances such as Casino, Son, Danzon, Rumba, Comparsa and at times, Afrocuban dances, while using and promoting the most current urban musical sounds from the island. DC Casineros also teaches Casino and Rueda de Casino classes based on the most current methodology of Cuban dance, which emphasizes technique, elegance, musicality and body isolations, while using dynamic moves and interactive exercises.
DC Casineros have performed and taught locally, nationally and internationally, at prestigious and popular venues, conferences and congresses including the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian, Wolf Trap, DC Salsa Congress: San Francisco, New York, Miami and Atlanta Rueda Congresses, Nicaragua Salsa Congress, Benin Salsa Congress in West Africa and Stochkhom Cuban Dance Festival in Sweden. They also travel to Cuba once a year to train, perform and collaborate with the prestigious Rueda All Stars in Santiago, Cuba.
Their teaching methodology and practice is based and modeled after the International Foundation “Casino Para Todos” curriculum. For information about performances, private classes, team-building and school / workplace presentations, please visit: dccasineros.org
