About Us
"Buen Aché was a great edition to the 2007 Charleston Cinco
de Mayo Festival. Their blending of salsa steps and Afro-Cuban dance moves took
the crowd on a journey to the sounds and rhythms of the Caribbean." ~ Cinco De Mayo
festival
Buen Aché is a small Afro-Latino dance company based in
Charleston, South Carolina. The company represents the African contribution to Latino
culture, music, and dance. Drawing on folkloric dances of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and
other Caribbean nations, Buen Aché explores elements of African artistic expression
in the New World.
Story-telling Through Dance
Buen Aché’s dance goes beyond the purely cultural and delves into the socially
conscious world when it confronts racism in one of its pieces called "La Jabá".
In another of Buen Aché’s performances, "Libéranos", a slave rebellion
is depicted through the "Palo" style of dance from Cuba. The Afro-Peruvian "Negroide"
dance, "Azucar de Caña", examines the lives of the Afro-Peruvian workers who cultivate
sugar cane.
These choreodrama pieces are combined with more traditional dances to create a rich
body of work that not only entertains and enlightens, but also tells a story of
culture and history through dance. By preserving these traditional dances, we keep
the past in the present, while creating a fusion of choreography with modern-day
dance styles.
Traditional Dances
The group performs at various types of
events for disparate audiences seeking to embrace and learn about other cultures.
Performances usually include the following genres of dance:
- Bachata
- Bomba
- Cha Cha
- Festejo
- Merengue
- Modern
- Negroide
- Palo
- Rumba
- Salsa
- Timba
- West African
- West Indian
- Zouk
Above all, Buen Aché seeks to promote racial unity, and its members are from
African, American, Asian, European, Latino and West Indian backgrounds
[ top ]