Orishas Dances
By Chen Lizra, Latidos Productions

The first time I tried Afro-Cuban Rumba, I fell in love with it (see Afro-Cuban Rumba article). But what I didn't know was that there was more to Cuban folklore than just Rumba. Now, where do I even begin?

Coming from African spiritual beliefs such as Yoruba (which turned into Santeria in Cuba) and from various African countries, the Orishas are considered as Santos (= saints), a type of human gods or as some might relate to them as pantheons. Each Orisha is responsible for a part of life and has different attributes and myths attached to him/her.

For example, Yemayá is the saint of waters and represents the sea. Ochun, on the other hand, is the goddess of love but is also considered the 'Puta' (= the whore). If you'd have problems with love, you'd turn to Ochun. Yet, besides general requests which they make to specific Orishas, each person has a designated saint, which he/she turns to for all their daily problems and await a sign /an answer in what ever form it may come, which is similar to other religions.

There are many Orishas, way beyond counting, but the most familiar ones sum up to about eight. These are usually danced and performed by folklore groups, such as the National Folklore group of Cuba (FNC). And they are: Elegguá, Oggún, Ochosi, Obatala, Oyá, Changó, Yemayá and Ochun.

The one Orisha which is above all other Orishas is Obatala, the saint of purity and all that is white and silver. He/she is always performed in dance shows dressed in white, pure as a child. Some Orishas are gender specific like Yemayá which is always danced by a female, some are male dominated like Changó, and others are danced by a male or a female, like Obatala.

The movements of the Orishas performed in dance shows tell us their story. They take us into the depth of the character, its attitudes and the relation to other Orishas. For example, some of the movements when dancing Obatala are of respect, asking him/her to stop storms and other problems. Body bent down with arms crossed over the shoulders, like a worship position and African upper body movements which resemble waves that the drums send through the dancer's body. The dancer is praying to Obatala. As the story
in the song progresses, the movements reflect the change, now dancing in an upright but loose position with arms open, symbolizing that Obatala has answered the prayers and the problems are now gone, thus there is a fiesta, a celebration and happiness.

The interesting thing is that the same Orishas in Santiago de Cuba and in Havana, are danced very similar yet in a different way. This is due to the fact that the dances came from different African villages and still exist in their own unique forms today in the different provinces of Cuba.

To dance well Orishas takes a long time. Not only does it take long to learn the complex body movements, but what is even more challenging is letting go of the fear and becoming the character with all of its attitudes and personality. But it is this unique difference, which sets it apart from other dances, that also makes this journey one of the most rewarding ones.