HAVANA (AP) 鈥� For nearly three decades, performances by Cuba’s Danza Voluminosa regularly filled prestigious venues like the . Directed by Juan Miguel Mas, the troupe pioneered a new movement by working exclusively with larger-bodied dancers 鈥� a creative process that was captured in a Canadian documentary.
Today, the 60-year-old dancer and choreographer from Havana is far from the big stages where he once thrived and rehearsed alongside professional artists. Instead, he spends his days conducting dance workshops and classes for children and coordinating performances within his community.
Like many Cubans , Mas’ daily life has been upended by , water outages, soaring costs and a lack of transportation.
But for artists like him, the situation is a little worse, compounded by the cancellation of shows, a lack of production budgets and a mass exodus from the cultural sector. In fact, he was recently notified that his teaching contract with the National Theater of Cuba has been suspended.
鈥淭he outlook for the arts is complex and bleak,鈥� said essayist and arts journalist Michel Hern谩ndez. He noted that Cuba鈥檚 cultural spaces 鈥� once affordable and state-run 鈥� have deteriorated significantly, leaving artists with few venues beyond a handful of expensive private spaces.
Yet, Mas won’t give up.
鈥淚 am very interested in staying in Cuba,鈥� he told The Associated Press on a recent Saturday as he prepared for a rehearsal with children from a nearby community. 鈥淲ere I to emigrate, I would lose contact with that 鈥楥ubanness鈥� that exists here, with the audience, the people, the folks next door.鈥�
Transforming a street corner into a dance stage
Born in Havana in 1965, Mas trained as a dancer and choreographer under the tutelage of Laura Alonso, a renowned ballerina, and Ramiro Guerra, the father of contemporary dance on the island. He also studied with the Cuban-American dancer and choreographer Lorna Burdsall, who encouraged him to persevere despite the discrimination he faced from dance schools because he weighed 160 kilograms (352 pounds).
He made his debut in 1996 with his own company, Danza Voluminosa (or Voluminous Dance), which remained active until 2024 and provided a home for dancers whose bodies diverged significantly from the industry鈥檚 prevailing aesthetic norms. He also worked as an actor and in 2025 he starred in 鈥淐herri,鈥� a fictional film based on his own life experiences.
These days, to supplement the modest income he makes working with children, Mas leases a small area of his home for business use and hosts weekend garage sales featuring curated recycled clothing, tableware and household goods.
Since his sister and teenage nephew relocated to Spain last year, he has lived alone and managed his expenses by shopping at a local farmers鈥� market just two blocks away. Conveniently, he also accesses subsidized medications at a state-run pharmacy directly across the street.
On a recent morning, water bottle in hand to ward off the heat, Mas walked six blocks to the lively Marianao district, where a crowd of 30 children and their mothers awaited his arrival.
The group suddenly transformed a street corner into a stage and for a full 90 minutes, the air filled with music as the little ones performed their songs and showed off their dance moves dressed as bees and other colorful characters.
Against all odds, Mas highlighted the importance of staying connected to his community.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about bringing the knowledge of art to these children and lifting them out of a reality defined by conflict,鈥� he said.
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