AAR - Ballet Beyond Borders, Havana, Cuba

After Action Report on Exit12 Dance Company's Trip to Cuba with Ballet Beyond Borders and Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba

January 6-12, 2025

In collaboration with Ballet Beyond Borders and Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba, Exit12 Dance Company embarked on a transformative journey to Havana, Cuba. This experience was not only an exchange of artistic expression but also a profound exploration of war, identity, and healing through dance. Our time in Cuba was defined by creativity, community engagement, and the powerful impact of storytelling through movement.

One of the most ambitious aspects of our trip was the creation of a new work in under five hours, inspired by Kurt Jooss' The Green Table. We engaged both student and professional dancers in a deep discussion about their understanding of World War I and World War II, their personal interpretations of war, and the internal and external battles they were fighting in their own lives. Their responses, filled with emotion and raw honesty, served as the foundation for our new piece, Reaching Across the Table. This work examined the loss of voice and identity amid interpersonal and societal conflicts, including violence, misinformation, and the overwhelming presence of social media. It also highlighted the resilience of the human spirit in fostering community and hope in the face of adversity.

Further expanding our engagement with the local community, we conducted a mask workshop in the streets of Havana. This interactive session, which saw participation from local children, became a bridge between cultures, inviting the public into the creative process. The masks, symbolic of both concealment and revelation, played a significant role in our performance, representing the struggle to retain identity in challenging times.

Our performance of Reaching Across the Table took place in two remarkable venues. The first was an open-air stage in the streets of Havana, where locals passing by stopped to witness the raw and evocative storytelling through dance. The second was the prestigious Theatro Nacional de Cuba, where we performed alongside world-class artists, reinforcing the global dialogue about art as a means of social change.

The impact of our work in Cuba was profound. Through movement, we addressed complex themes of conflict, trauma, and resilience, prompting audiences to reflect on their own experiences and struggles. The conversations sparked by our workshops and performances demonstrated the universal power of dance to heal and inspire. As we concluded our journey, we left behind a powerful charge: to use art as a means of making the world a better place. The connections forged, the stories shared, and the messages conveyed will continue to resonate, proving that dance is more than just performance—it is a catalyst for transformation and unity.