Summer Afro-Cuban dance festival at Acosta Dance Centre
ACOSTA DANCE CENTRE HOSTS AFRO-CUBAN DANCE FESTIVAL THIS JULY
11 to 13 July 2025
Acosta Dance Centre
Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, South East London
Dancers with any level of experience are invited to learn from some of the best Afro-Cuban dance teachers in the country for three vibrant days of workshops and celebration at the Acosta Dance Centre in South East London in July.
At the Centre’s annual Alafia, the UK’s biggest Afro-Cuban dance festival, live music, dance and song lift the roof off their Woolwich Royal Arsenal studios, while participants get the opportunity to engage with celebrated Cuban artists and musicians and Salsa, Timba and Conga the days – and nights – away with like-minded dance lovers.
Over 15 artists including dance teachers and musicians, many of whom will travel to the UK from across Europe, will take participants on an exhilarating journey into Afro-Cuban dance and music across the three-day fiesta. Dancer, teacher and choreographer Master Domingo Pau, who is travelling from Cuba for the event, has a 60-year career in Afro-Cuban arts. He will join his daughter, Lead Teacher, Afro-Cuban dance educator, dancer and Acosta Dance Foundation’s Artistic Programmes Manager, Luanda Pau, along with seven other specialist teachers in facilitating dance workshops for participants. This includes Damaris Hechavarria, Niurka Aguero, Maikel Mota, Ariel Rios, Paul Brando, Alexander Barrera and Federica Fusco.
Live musicians across the weekend include Martha Galarraga and Julio Molina Pérez who will work alongside a stellar line-up of singers and percussionists including Juan Carlos Angarica, Gerardo de Armas Sarria, Jose Ferrera Mulen, Gaspar Sena and Ohad Lustigman.
Acosta Dance Foundation Managing Director and co-founder and director of Alafia International Dance Festival, Javier Torres, says, “At Alafia, we bring the spirit of Cuba to the UK. We know how to throw a great party in Cuba and this year we’re bringing that same energy to the second edition of Alafia here in London, but bigger, bolder and better. Afro-Cuban dance is at the heart of our culture and we can’t wait to share the authenticity of this tradition with dance lovers from across the UK.”
Bookings are open now. Please visit the website
Media contact: Siobhan Waterhouse - press@acostadancefoundation.org.uk or +44 7 884 598 345.
Festival programme
Friday: Festival opening from 6:30pm, featuring live music and DJ
Saturday: Dance workshops from 10am. Evening activities include Salsa Rueda Timba classes, shows, live band, DJ and Cuban party.
Sunday: Dance workshops from 10am. Festival closes with Open Salsa Rueda, Timba, Conga, and live music outdoors.
Further information:
https://acostadancecentre.com/product/alafia-afro-cuban-dance-festival/
Booking Options:
Full Festival (Three days) – £275
Includes all workshops and both evening parties
Full Festival (Workshops Only) – £250
Includes access to all workshops (no evening parties included)
Individual Day Tickets:
1-Day Pass – £130(Workshops only (no evening parties included))
2-Day Pass – £240 (Workshops only (no evening parties included))
About the Acosta Dance Centre:
The Acosta Dance Centre, located at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, South East London, opened in September 2023 and delivers a growing public programme of courses and classes whilst also acting as a gathering place and artistic space for dancers, industry professionals and the community. Its programmes of education and community work includes school workshops, open public dance classes, and the upcoming Carlos Acosta Easter Camp for aspiring young ballet dancers.
About ZoieLogic Dance Theatre
Led by Artistic Director Zoie Golding MBE, ZoieLogic Dance Theatre brings 25 years’ of experience in challenging the perceptions of dance, who it’s for and how it’s shown. We want as many people to experience dance as possible; to see it, be in it and help make it.
We make shows and projects and create unforgettable experiences. We’re on a mission to get more people involved in dance, especially men and boys and those less likely to see or take part in the arts. We make this happen by creating and touring professional dance theatre shows, and through our outreach, engagement, and talent development programmes.
ZoieLogic Dance Theatre is supported by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
About Zoie Golding MBE
Zoie Golding MBE is a celebrated dance pioneer and social innovator, who has made her mark on the UK and international dance world over the past two decades. As an accomplished Artistic Director, Movement Director, Executive Producer and CEO, challenging perceptions of dance, its audience, and its place in society.
In 2000, Zoie founded the nationally acclaimed FuzzyLogic Youth Dance Company, leading the way in male dance engagement. This grew into ZoieLogic Dance Theatre, recognised for its exceptional and innovative dance experiences that bring people together and create positive social impact.
Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for dance and the arts and is a source of inspiration for those who seek to make a difference in the world of dance and beyond. Leading to her recent honour of being awarded an MBE for her services to dance.
