Orisha Dance Instruction - DVD

     
                   
                   

"Jose Francisco Barroso's Orishas instructional DVD is great. He breaks down each body movement slowly, then he performs to live music, adding extra moves. All the different dances are explained clearly, and Mr. Barroso is a great dancer. Antonio Torres - USA

               
               
       

Dances of the Orisha
Afro Cuban dance instruction
with Jose Francisco Barroso

produced by Obakoso Dance Co.

video type: instructional & demonstration
dance level: beginning to advanced
time: 112 minutes
language: English explanations
filmed in California, USA

Learn African Cuban folkloric dance from master teacher Jose Francisco Barroso as he guides students in the dances of the Orishas (Yoruba deities) from beginner basics to the more advanced movements and characterizations demonstrated by his explosive soloing.

All instruction is accompanied by a live group of musicians singing Orisha songs and performing on Batá drums. Detailed instruction and demonstration of the three types of rumba is also included.

To help ground students in the rhythm each dance section begins with counting and stepping in time with the clave (the 5 note pattern & rhythmic foundation of Afro-Cuban music).

Orisha & rumba dance instruction on the DVD:

1) Elegba - opener of doors, trickster, guardian of the crossroads

2) Ogun - represents work and all human effort - he is a symbol for violence, brute force, of raw energy.

3) Oshun - the deity of river waters and the embodiment of love, sensuality, and fertility

4) Yemaya - the deity of ocean waters and the mother of the entire world

5) Shango - the Orisha of fire, thunder, lightening, and the owner of the sacred batõ.

6) Oya - the Orisha identified with the wind, thunderbolt, and fire.

7) Rumba Yambu - slower dance for couples

8) Rumba Guaguanco - couples dance

9) Rumba Columbia - men's dance 

Jose Francisco Barroso (Ifa Jokoo) is a native of Havana, Cuba.… Barroso began his study of Afro-Cuban folkloric dance under the direction of Juan de Dios Ramos while dancing in Cuba's renowned folkloric company Raices Profundas. Living in the U.S. for the last decade, Barroso is regarded as among the…foremost specialists of African Cuban dance, music, and cultural tradition; teaching and lecturing at numerous universities and cultural centers throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Barroso has collaborated with countless legendary artists such as his godfather- Pancho Quinto, Regino Jimenez, Lazaro Galaraga, Francisco Aguabella, Jesus and Ana Perez from Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, and many others.

As a practitioner within the spiritual tradition of the Yoruba people, Barroso was first initiated as an Omo Elegbara and then as an Ifa priest under the sacred odu: Osa Ogunda.… Through his constant research and dedication to authenticity, Barroso is committed to studying, maintaining, and sharing the profound knowledge of African Cuban culture. In 1996 Jose Francisco Barroso founded Obakoso Drum & Dance Ensemble, a group devoted to preserving the profound knowledge living within traditional African Cuban folkloric music and dance.

This production also features:
Ramon Sandy Perez
former percussionist of Afro-Cuba de Matanzas

Ysidro Valor Perez
Clave y Guaguanc˚

Yismari Ramos
former dancer with Ballet de La Televicion Cubana

Jose Luis Gomez
singer with Fito Reinoso y Su Armonia

and many other special guests.

reviews of the DVD

Antonio Torres - USA
"Jose Francisco Barroso's Orishas Instructional DVD is great. He breaks down each body movement slowly, then he performs to live music, adding extra moves. All the different dances are explained clearly, and Mr. Barroso is a great dancer. The guaguanco, columbia, and yambu were my favorites....but they all are excellent. I would recommend this DVD to everyone who is looking to add more upper-body movement to their salsa-dancing--it is worth it."

One Love - USA
"I just received the "Dances of the Orisha" DVD. I can't thank you enough! I have been hoping, praying and searching for an instructional video like this for many years! Jose Francisco is an excellent instructor, the musicians and singers are wonderful and the other dancers are great too! Many thanks to all who created this much appreciated DVD! "

Komokiel - Canada
"I'm addicted to Boogalu DVD's... I decided to take a few minutes to express my satisfaction about Jose Barroso's instructional DVD. He's a great dancer and teacher. The DVD is quite HEAVY and it comes at a good time as a complement to the Boogalu DVD "Rumbon Tropical". I love it and I recommand it strongly to afro-cuban dance lovers. Thanks to the Boogalu team for this good reference! "

Fabio of SalsaIsGood.com
"Plenty of material in this DVD, no time wasted in chit-chat or purposeless decorations, just 70 full minutes of dancing and music. The instructor takes you along a journey from the Nigerian roots of Afro-Caribbean dance to the better known rumba styles of Yambu, Guaguanco and Columbia, always accompanied by live percussions and chanting. For each dance the steps are first shown at a slow pace with vocal counting over the clave and then demonstrated with a richer percussion ensemble.

You should be aware that no actual instruction is included, you can understand the counting and the steps, but the working out of the details is something you have to do yourself. But, really, this is no excuse for not trying, for just when you may think that your genes could be too 'white' to execute such movements, a few students, including a westerner woman and an asian guy, show you that is not the case.. a very timely and useful addition to the demonstrations. The gem comes towards the end, with three outstanding demonstrations of solo and couple rumba. The dancers are very good (the instructor and his rumba partner are outstanding) and so are the musicians and the students. A worthwhile addition to your collection, at least to learn about the origins of salsa."

 

     


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