A trip you never will forget
!!!

We have clients coming back every year

14 days intensive dance courses with Salsa, Son , Rueda de Casino, Cha Cha
Cha and Rumba.

The best teachers in Cuba.

Every student gets a Cuban dance partner.

It is also possible to have classes in Congas and Spanish.

The dates in 2009 are : 4- 18 of October.

The dates in 2010 are: 3-17 of January, 28 of March - 11 of April, 12-26 of
July and 3-17 of October

If you like, you can arrive before and stay longer at the hotel.

You can also have one week courses, then it is half price.

Introduction

The courses are arranged by the Danish/Cuban Friendship Society of Cuban Arts
cubakultur.dk, together with the Cuban organisation CNSEA and Paradico. The
course
teachers are especially selected among the best in Cuba.. Each course lasts 14
days and is held at the hotel Kohly, in association with the National School of
Performing Arts in Havana.

Coordination

The courses are co-ordinated in Cuba by Stine Ortvad, a professional dancer
from Denmark whose extensive experience of living and working in Cuba 5 years,
has given her a unique insight into Cuban culture. Stine trained at ENA, and
has taught Salsa for over 15 years.

Tuition

Group classes are divided into different levels, depending on
ability/experience. The choice of study subjects is varied, and includes Salsa,
Rueda de Casino, Son, Mambo, Cha Cha Cha,and Rumba. Instrumental courses can in
certain cases be tailor made to suit your needs, and extra-curricular tuition
(15 CUC ) is possible. Typically, the tuition takes place between 9 am and 1
pm, leaving time to take extra classes or visit the many sights. Outings are
arranged to Salsa concerts, Santeria displays, the legendary Cabarets,
theatres, beaches and more.

The schedule are : Monday - Friday from 9:30-13:30
9:30- 10:30 Son, Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba.
10:30-13:30 : Salsa and Rueda de Casino..
All student receive an official Diploma from ENA, awarded at an informal
ceremony, where participants get the chance to show off their new found skills
!

Accommodation

For the duration of the course, the participants stay at a three star hotel,
which includes breakfast and dinner . All rooms have a bathroom. Lunch is
available at reasonable prices. The hotel is located 15 minutes by taxi from
old Havana, in an atmospheric residential street, fringed with tropical
vegetation such as mangrove trees. It is possible to stay at the hotel, either
before or after the course. The hotel has a swimming-pool, a fitness centre ,
tennis field, a pool bar and a "Business Centre" which makes it
possible to send and receive faxes and e-mails for a small fee, and make
overseas phone calls A few blocks away you’ll find a large bank, where it’s
possible to use major credit cards (but with a maximum of 200 USD per day, so
it would be advisable to bring cash). Valuables can be deposited in a safety
box in your hotel room. All extra nights in the hotel are 35 Euro inkl. meals
and 30 Euro in a dobbelt room.

Hotel Kohly, Cuba :: Ave. 49-Ay 36, Reparto Kohly Havana .

We will send you a hotel reservation which you will need to get your tourist
visa to Cuba.

Price and payment

Total price: 1000 Euro, plus extra 100 Euro to get a single room. This includes
: Classes 4 hours daily the entire two weeks, fourteen days accommodation at
the hotel with 2 daily meals, a city tour around old Havana and a big party the
last day

We need you to deposit 400 Euro 30 days in advance to this account :
Receiving Bank Name: Danske Bank
Bank Swift: DABADKKK
Iban:DK7030000016799904.

Further information :
Cuban dance and music

Den Cubanske Kulturforening
Meinungsgade 28 4 th
2200 København Denmark
Tlf : 45+20987477
cubakultur@...
www.misalsacubana.com

Here is some important information that you must read before departure:

The trip

The authorities are very strict and do not allow bringing fluids, tooth paste
and deodorants, etc. in your hand luggage . The airport is big so there may be
a long way to go from check-in to the gate.
It is a long trip, and you must be prepared to wait a couple of hours before
you can pick up your luggage when you land in Havana. Please be patient when
you come to the immigration/passport control, it takes time – the Cubans are
not so speedy.

To go to the hotel, take a taxi, it costs approx. 25 CUC, however, feel free to
ask one of the other participants to share a taxi (and the costs).
Hotel address: Hotel Kohly, Ae. 49-Ay 36, Reparto Kohly Havana)

Information meeting

On Sunday evening at 21h30, we all get together for an information meeting in
the café at Hotel Kohly. Then everybody should have arrived, and you will get a
chance to meet the other participants. On Monday morning at 9h15, all
participants meet in the lobby at Hotel Kohly. The dance lessons take place at
Hotel Kohly in its dance hall, and at the Hotel Bosque (5 minutes from Hotel
Kohly), where the other group will have dance lessons.

Visa

Visa is required to enter Cuba. You must apply for a tourist visa at the Cuban
embassy in your home country. American citizens can buy the visa when they
arrive in Cuba. Your passport will not be stamped.

Hotel

Address: Hotel Kohly, Ave. 49-Ay 36, Reparto Kohly, Havana.

Single rooms have been reserved for those of you who have not requested double
room. Please note that there is a supplement of 100 EURO for single rooms.

The rooms will be assigned upon arrival, however, the hotel needs your passport
number to check you in, so if you have not already done so, please send your
passport number to us without delay..
You can rent a safety box for the room, it costs 2 CUC per day, to be paid when
you arrive.

Two daily meals are included in the price of trip . als are served in the
restaurant of the hotel; dinner between 19-22h every day, and breakfast between
7-10h.
The hotel is situated in a quiet area, and has a swimming pool. There is also a
small beach, Santa Maria approx. 3 minutes drive from the hotel, so bring your
swimwear.

The hotel allows you to have friends/visitors at the hotel, but Cubans are only
admitted to the hotel when they have a specific errand, and they are not
permitted to go the hotel rooms.
Laundry: if you leave your dirty clothes in a plastic bag with the staff at the
hotel they will take care that it is washed, and you pay in cash on delivery.

Internet: there is internet connection at the hotel, and it works, although
slowly; it costs 6 CUC per hour.

The dance lessons

This is what it’s all about! The lessons take place at Hotel Kohly, and in
other premises nearby. Inside the hotel, there are two big halls, where two
classes dance, while a third class dances under the palm trees. There will be
three classes: beginners, intermidia and advance

The first day, the instructors will look at how you dance and then determine
which class you should go to so as to ensure that everybody is placed at the
right level.

Every participant gets a Cuban dance partner, the teaching takes place in
teams, and there will be two instructors. Every team will have an English
interpreter, who translates from Spanish into English, whenever necessary. Our
teacher and assisting teacher are good at showing the movements slowly. You may
find that it is not the same way of pedagogical teaching as you are used to at
home, it is a different way, but it works, and you really get value for money.

If it should happen that it doesn’t work well between a participant and a
dance
partner we will find another dance partner. As part of the cultural experience
please be prepared to learn to understand the local mentality and energy, which
is so exciting. We always take care to find a number of tall guys for the tall
girls. Local female dance partners are usually not as tall as the male
participants, but don’t worry, they are very sweet and good dance partners.

Every morning at 9h15 we start with an information meeting, and as from 9h30
there is one hour of warm-up where other types of dances are also taught, like
Son and Rumba. After that, there will be three hours of Salsa and Rueda de
Casino.

Dancing for so many hours is a long time so make sure to bring soft shoes, e.g.
sneakers. The dance floor is a little hard. You will be sweating a lot during
the dance classes so it can be a good idea to bring many T-shirts. There are no
rules as to dancing in shorts or long pants; we recommend comfortable clothes
for training.

Sightseeing and night life

On the second day, we take you sightseeing in Havana Vieja (the old Havana). We
may also go on other tours during the stay, depending on your wishes; there is
a tourist information center in the lobby of Hotel Kohly. We will typically go
on tours in the afternoon, where we might also find good bands (entry only 10
CUC) – this is to avoid being too tired before the dance lessons next morning.
Entry to dance shows/cabaret shows (beautiful costumes and headgear decorated
with feathers) is not quite so cheap, approx. 40 CUC. We will also go to some
rumba and folkloristic places during the week. At night during the weekends, we
go out to hear some of the biggest bands. In Cuba, it is customary to dress
nicely when you go out in the evening. On Sunday, we usually go to the
fantastic beach Santa Maria and enjoy the whole day there. It is up to you
whether you wish to take part in these activities.

Read about music places and night life events at:
http://www.egrem.com.cu/egrem/progcmusica.asp

Dance partners

The Cubans do not earn a lot of money so you must be prepared to pay for them
if you take them out. It is up to you how much you would like to invite them
out. However, it is usually a good idea; it creates good relations, you can
feel safe, and you have somebody to dance with. Usually, you agree to meet with
the girl/guy in front of the dancing place, and then you pay for her/his entry.
It is relatively cheap to go out, depending on the choice of band (between 5-20
CUC. Just bear in mind that you pay for all the costs for your dance partner,
i.e. entry and drinks. The Cubans get their salary paid in Pesos National,
equivalent to approx. 10 CUC a month, so they don’t have a lot of money to
live
for. If and when you take your dance partner out he/she will try to pay for
his/her own entry in Pesos National , if possible, (100 Pesos National is
equivalent to approx. 5 CUC), to save money so that it will be cheaper for you.
Your dance partner will assist you in exchanging your money to the local
currency, and then there will be no further exchange fees. You can also use the
local currency to buy fruit, pizza, water, etc. at the local shops in town.

Tips

The Cuban dance partners receive only little money from the dance school for
their two weeks of dancing which is why we kindly suggest that the participants
give a tip to them when the course is over. The amount is typically 60-100 CUC,
but of course we leave it to everyone to decide how much to offer, depending on
how satisfied you have been with your dance partner. Cubakultur.dk pays for the
teacher and interpreter.Tips are expected in Cuba; count on 5-10% in the
restaurants, as well as tips for guides and the like.

Gifts

If you have clothes, T-shirts, make-up, teddy bears, toys, etc. that you do not
use anymore and if you have room for these things in your suitcase the Cubans
would be more than happy to receive them. Everything can be used in Cuba. The
Cubans are very appreciative people and have only very little money to buy
things. We also warmly recommend bringing pens, lighters, perfume, and clothes
in general.

Shopping/pocket money

Apart from cigars, rum and CD’s with local artists, and some art, it is very
limited what you can buy in Cuba, and things are generally very expensive due
to the embargo. The few countries trading with Cuba enjoys a kind of
monopolistic position. But there is always a lot going on, and you have to pay
entry fee every time you go out.
You should expect to spend approx. 5000 DKK during your stay.

Foreign currency/course fee and security

It is not worth changing money (and probably not possible either) at home into
the Cuban Dollars Convertibles (also called Pesos Convertibles (CUC), which
should not be confounded with the local Pesos National that the Cubans spend in
the rationing shops and which foreigners cannot use . The rate of the Cuban CUC
is 10-20% lower than that of EURO (and is very unstable) In these notes,
whenever we refer to dollars (CUC) we mean the Cuban Dollars Convertibles. On
the site valutakurser.dk you will find the exchange rate of “Cuba peso” –
not
Cuban Dollars Convertibles. You should bring EURO from home. EURO cannot be
used as means of payment, but can be exchanged to Cuban Dollars Convertibles.
You can do so at the airport upon arrival (you will have plenty of time while
waiting for your luggage), or in the bank situated at 5 minutes walk from Hotel
Kohly. Do NOT try to change in the streets!

VISA cards can be used, but it is expensive as the fee is approx. 15%, so bring
cash from home. It is difficult to say how much pocket money you will need, but
an estimate is 4-6000 DKK. Make sure to exchange DKK into EURO before
departure. It is possible to exchange DKK in the shopping center in the center
of Havana.

The weather

Generally, it is good at this time of the year . When it rains you will notice
it (!) so it is good idea to bring an umbrella.

Vaccinations and mosquitoes

It is recommended to have the vaccinations against tetanus and hepatitis
(Hepatitis A); if you travel a lot you may already have these.
It is a good idea to bring mosquito repellent from home as it is very hard to
find in Cuba, and there may be many mosquitoes morning and evening.
Remember your own medicine if you take something special, it is expensive in
Cuba.

Food

Cuba is known for many exotic things, but not for its cooking. The food is
fine, you get lots of fruit, vegetables and meat at the hotel, but there is not
much variation, and you may not find it exciting. To stabilize your stomach,
bring yoghurt pills, but if you do not drink tap water, eat fish from outside
the hotel and shellfish in the streets you are fairly safe.

Electricity

Cuba uses 110 volt (V). One plug in the hotel room uses 220 V; it is the plug
for
the air condition. Bring appliances that use 110 V or a small transformer that
converts from 110 V into 220 V (Danish standard). As the air condition plug
using 220 V is placed in the room and not in the bathroom, bring a mirror if
you need so when using electrical appliances connected to the 220 V plug in the
room.

Water/toilet paper

Do not drink the tap water. We recommend to buy bottled water in big quantities
as water in the supermarket can be sold out or there may be a long way to the
next shop. There is a little shop in the hotel, and a bigger supermarket
approx. 5 minutes from the hotel. The humidity is very high in Cuba, and you
drink a lot of water.
You will rarely find toilet paper at public toilets in Cuba so we recommend to
always carry some in your bag when outside the hotel. The toilets are often
very simple, compared to Danish standards. The toilet paper must be put in the
little bin next to the toilet (never in the lavatory); this is the case both at
the hotel and at public toilets.

Politics/security

Fidel Castro has delegated his power to his brother, Raoul. Should Fidel Castro
die while we stay in Cuba it is not likely that anything will happen so you
need not worry about the political situation. However, if an emergency
situation arises we are not responsible for the participants and therefore
recommend that you have a travel insurance.

Mobile phones

Cuba is covered, but it costs approx. 2-4 DKK to send and receive SMS, and
phone calls cost approx. 6-8 DKK per minute.

Cuban salsa

Read the history of Cuban salsa at: http://michbuze.club.fr/burdi/histoire.htm




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