Christopher Newport University
Department of Fine Art and Art History
May 15-29 2018
Art and Performance in Cuba
DANC 395: Special Topics in Dance, Prof. Mazzocca
FNAR 395: Special Topics in Art History, Dr. Morán
Cuba has a rich tradition of art, dance, and music. This
tradition was born from the island’s diverse religious, historic,
socio-cultural, and political contexts. This course will act as an
introduction to the vast world of art and folkloric dance
traditions in Cuba where a history of European colonialism, African
enslavement, 20th century socialist revolution, and a resulting
communist regime created a unique landscape of artistic
production.
Cuban art and dance reflect the cultural mixing of identities
and elements of European Roman Catholicism with African religions
and cosmologies of the Yoruba, Fon and Kongo. Distinct Afro-Cuban
music and dance forms were created through this cultural mixing.
Through the dances of the African-based religions of La Regla de
Lucumí (La Regla de Ocha or Santería), Arará, and Palo in Cuba we
will access African traditions and knowledge that exist in its
Diaspora, embody a historic resistance to slavery and liberation
from oppression, and celebrate the complex energies of our natural
world.
These Afro-Cuban themes are also present in the artistic
production of Cuban artists. Afro-Cuban themes were instrumental in
creating a national identity for Cuba during the 20s and 30s with
the output of artists in La Vanguardia. Afro-Cuban themes continue
to dominate in modern, contemporary and post-contemporary art.
Students will explore how cultural forms overlap and infuse one
another.
We will develop a consciousness of art and dance as contemporary
and living practices. We will explore the issues that arise when
ritual dances performed for religious purposes or communal healing
become folkloric dances for the stage. We will discuss how art that
is ‘activated’ for religious purpose is both similar and different
from art produced for public audiences and spaces.
In this 2-week course in Cuba we’ll focus on the artistic
production of this island (mostly) shut off from the United States
for the last 60 years, emphasizing how this broader context is
embodied in the local cultural forms of art, dance, and music.
This study abroad program qualifies for a general license to
travel to Cuba according to Section V of the Comprehensive
Guidelines to Engage in Travel-Related Transactions Involving Cuba
published by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (31
C.F.R.§515.565): “Educational Activities.” Guidelines are available
here:
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/guidance_cuba_travel.pdf
Elizabeth Morán, PhDAnn E. Mazzocca, MFA
Associate Professor of Art HistoryAssociate Professor of
Dance
Office: Ferguson Hall, A122 Office: Ferguson Hall, A107
Email: [email protected]: [email protected]
Office phone: 757.594.7883Office phone: 757.594.0160
Required Text (DANC 395 Only):
Dancing Wisdom: Embodied Knowledge in Haitian Vodou, Cuban
Yoruba, and Bahian Candomble, by Yvonne Daniel (2005, University of
Illinois Press).
FNAR 395 Readings:
All readings are available via Scholar – please make sure to
print and bring along with you!
Echevarría, Roberto González, “Fiesta Time in Old Havana: Three
Pictures of a 19th century Afro-Cuban Ritual,” in Cuban Fiestas.
Yale University Press, New Haven, 2010, 82-120.
Fusco, Coco. “Traces of Ana Mendieta,” in English in Broken
Here: Notes on Cultural Fusion in the Americas. New Press, New
York, 1995, 121-125.
Herzberg, Julia P. “Rereading Lam,” in Santería Aesthetics in
Contemporary Latin American Art, ed. Arturo Lindsay. Smithsonian
Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 1996, 149-169.
Margarite, Fernández Olmos and Lisbeth Paravisini-Gebert, “The
Afro-Cuban Religious Traditions of Regla de Palo and the Abakuá
Secret Society,” in Creole Religions of the Caribbean: An
Introduction from Vodou and Santería to Obeah and Espiritismo. New
York University Press, New York, 2003, 78-100.
Lindsay, Arturo. “Orishas: Living Gods in Contemporary Latino
Art,” in Santería Aesthetics in Contemporary Latin American Art,
ed., Arturo Lindsay. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington,
D.C. 1996, 201-223.
Martínez, Juan A. “Origins and Early Development of Modern Cuban
Painting: La Vanguardia,” in Cuban Art and National Identity: The
Vanguardia Painters, 1927-1950. University Press of Florida, Tampa,
1994, 1-31.
Miller, Ivor L., “The Fortified City,” in Voice of the Leopard:
African Secret Societies. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson,
2019, 66-68.
Morán, Elizabeth. “Visions of a Nineteenth-Century Cuba: Images
of Blacks in the Work of Víctor Patricio de Landaluze, in
Comparative Perspectives in Afro-Latin America, ed. K. Dixon and J.
Burdick. University of Florida Press, Gainseville, Florida, 2012,
114-132.
Ortiz, Fernando, translated by Jean Stubbs, “The Afro-Cuban
Festival ‘Day of the Kings’,” in Cuban Festivals: A Century of
Afro-Cuban Culture, ed. Judith Bettelheim. Markus Wiener
Publishers, Princeton, 2001.
Learning objectives
Students in this course will:
· Gain a broader understanding and appreciation of Afro-Cuban
dance and art and its relation to culture and history;
· Develop fundamental movement mechanics of Afro-Cuban folkloric
dance;
· Understand key terms in the study of Cuban and Caribbean art
history;
· Engage in topic based readings to provide support for informed
discussion and written response while gaining factual knowledge of
Afro-Cuban cultural context and history;
DANCE 395 ASSIGNMENTS
Grade Breakdown
Item
Percentage
Pre-departure, midterm, and post-return essays
10% each (30% total)
Blog posts
10%
Participation
30%
Final Project & Presentation
30%
TOTAL
100%
Written Assignments (3 x 10% = 30%): Before, during, and after
the conclusion of this study abroad program you will be asked to
answer several short-answer and essay questions. Further details
will be provided in the pre-departure meetings.
Blog Posts (10%): During our trip to Cuba we will all be
contributors to a class blog. Each student will be responsible for
four total posts: one prior to departure, two while in the field,
and a final post within two weeks of returning. Further details
will be provided in the pre-departure meetings.
Participation (30%): The success of this program absolutely
depends on each participant’s active and positive contributions to
the program. Simply showing up is not enough. Further details about
how participation will be graded will be provided in the
pre-departure meetings.
Final Project & Presentation (30%): During the trip students
will work in small groups to develop research-based creative
projects (photo essays, documentary shorts, dance or musical
performances, etc.). Early in the semester following our return
we’ll do an exhibit and performance on CNU’s campus that will be
open to friends, colleagues, family, and the public. Further
details will be provided in the pre-departure meetings.
FNAR 395 ASSIGNMENTS
Grade Breakdown
Item
Percentage
Readings and Discussions
15%
Journals
15%
Oral Presentation
30%
Short Research Paper
30%
Blog
10%
TOTAL
100%
1. Class Participation: Readings, Discussions and Journals
Many mornings will be dedicated to reviewing and evaluating
class readings as well as visiting sites and participating in
organized events. As such, all students must stay on top of their
readings and be prepared to not only participate but lead class
discussions. Each student will have a journal that they will use
for class writing exercises as well as to record observations as
they participate in organized events or visit specific sites. These
journals will be used to assist in the various formal assignments
that will be due at the end of the trip. The journals will also be
handed in for grading at the end of the trip, but these will be
returned to the students upon the completion of formal grades.
2. Oral Presentation
Each student will do a 10-minute presentation on an art work or
artist selected by the student but approved by the professor.
3. Short Research Paper
A short final paper (5-6 pages) based on the presentation will
be due two weeks after returning from the trip.
4. Blog Posts: Along with DANC 395, we will all be contributors
to a class blog. Each student will be responsible for four total
posts: one prior to departure, two while in the field, and a final
post within two weeks of returning. Further details will be
provided in the pre-departure meetings.
More information on each of the assignments will be provided in
class and posted on Scholar.
Course Policies
1. This is not a vacation:
The journey we are about to embark on is an intensive academic
field course. Our days are filled with activities – reading,
writing, discussion groups, lectures, museum visits, field trips,
and other activities. To be sure this course is organized to be a
fun adventure, but the academic seriousness of it should not be
underestimated.
2. Physical activity:
Although the bulk of this trip will be spent in urban areas,
participants should expect to engage in significant outdoor
physical activity. And as good cultural and urban geographers, our
own feet will be an important mode of transportation. Additionally,
we’ll be partaking in dance and percussion classes, and during the
several multi-day trips outside of Havana we will be engaged in
hiking and other physically demanding activities. Participants
should come mentally and physically prepared (and with a
comfortable pair of shoes!).
3. Pre-departure meetings:
All participants on this program will be required to attend one
virtual and two in-person pre-departure meetings.
4. CNU Credit:
Everyone should plan on registering for either FNAR 395 or DANC
395 for this program. Participants are responsible for tuition
costs.
5. Academic Integrity:
We take academic integrity very seriously. The CNU Honor Code
states: On my honor, I will maintain the highest standards of
honesty, integrity and personal responsibility. This means I will
not lie, cheat, or steal, and as a member of this academic
community, I am committed to creating an environment of respect and
mutual trust. Please refer to the student handbook for specific
policies on academic misconduct.
We expect everyone on this trip to be respectful of one another,
the professors and other scholars, as well as the people of
Cuba.
Disabilities
In order for a student to receive an accommodation for a
disability, that disability must be on record in the Dean of
Students’ Office, 3rd Floor, David Student Union (DSU). If you
believe that you have a disability, please contact Dr. Kevin
Hughes, Dean of Students (594-7160) to discuss your needs. Dean
Hughes will provide you with the necessary documentation to give to
your professors.
Students with documented disabilities are required to notify the
instructor no later than the first day on which they require an
accommodation (the first day of class is recommended), in private,
if accommodation is needed. The instructor will provide students
with disabilities with all reasonable accommodations, but students
are not exempted from fulfilling the normal requirements of the
course. Work completed before the student notifies the instructor
of his/her disability may be counted toward the final grade at the
sole discretion of the instructor.
Success
We want you to succeed in this course and at CNU. We encourage
you to come see us during office hours or to schedule an
appointment to discuss course content or to answer questions you
have. If we become concerned about your course performance,
attendance, engagement, or well-being, we will speak with you
first. We also may submit a referral through our Captains Care
Program. The referral will be received by the Center for Academic
Success as well as other departments when appropriate (Counseling
Services, Office of Student Engagement). If you are an athlete, the
Athletic Academic Support Coordinator will be notified. Someone
will contact you to help determine what will help you succeed.
Please remember that this is a means for us to support you and help
foster your success at CNU.
The Daily Routine
During our two weeks in Cuba we’ll be primarily based in the
city of Havana. From there we’ll make excursions to places relevant
to our research and pedagogical objectives including Matanzas,
Varadero, and Viñales. While in Havana we’ll maintain a fairly
constant daily routine centered on a 2.5-hour morning classroom
session and a 4-hour afternoon field session:
7:30 – 9:00 AMBreakfast
9:30 AM – 12:00 PMMorning classroom session (2.5 hours)
12:00 – 1:00 PMLunch
1:00 – 5:00 PMAfternoon field session (4 hours)
6:00 – 8:00 PMDinner
8:00 – 11:00 PMOccasional evening sessions
The morning session will consist of a mix of the following:
· Classes led by project directors
· Guest lectures and workshops by local Cuban scholars,
educators, and artists
· Class Discussions on relevant topics
The relatively longer afternoon session will be dedicated to
field excursions, including:
· A wide variety of hands-on cultural classes taught by Cuban
professionals, including:
· Dance classes
· Music classes
· Museum visits and tours
· City and neighborhood tours
· Hikes and eco-tours (especially in Viñales)
· Visits to cultural and historically relevant sites
Our schedule on the multi-day excursions will vary significantly
and will be based on local options and conditions.
