Korzo X Latin Soul Dance

Curated:	Latin Soul Dance – Angela Alfaro
Duration	270 min
Part of	Korzo x

Korzo X

Twice a year, Korzo X hands the mic to a new voice. A guest curator takes the lead, bringing their own world, their own questions, their own rhythm to our theater.

Roots of Rhythm

An evening celebrating Afro-Latin culture in Cuba & Colombia.
Latin America is a mosaic of cultures, shaped by the powerful encounter of Indigenous roots, African heritage, and colonial history.

With Roots of Rhythm, we dive deeper.

This evening shines a spotlight on the Afro influence in Cuba and Colombia, carried through music, dance, and stories of resilience. From the powerful movements of Pedro Ricardo Henry, rooted in Afro-Cuban traditions and the legacy of the cimarrones, to the joyful rhythms of Colombian dancer and choreographer Naty Meléndez, who brings cumbia to life as a celebration of resistance and identity. And to close the night, Venezuelan maestro Gerardo Rosales and his quintet invite everyone onto the dance floor with a party full of Cuban and Colombian classics—from mambo to guaguancó.

You will experience:

Workshops for everyone – no dance experience needed!
Performances
Live music
Latin food

Read more below about the remarkable artists shaping this evening.

Naty Meléndez is a dancer, choreographer, and cultural manager from Barranquilla, Colombia. With more than 30 years of experience, she has taught in schools and led her own company, Corporación Artística Identidad—winner of 26 Congos de Oro at the UNESCO-recognized Carnival of Barranquilla.

Workshop – África Vive en la Cumbia.

In her workshop, Naty takes you to the roots of cumbia, where African origins and Colombian identity come together.

Performance – África Vive en la Cumbia

Cumbia is the most iconic Afro-Colombian dance and music style—a living heritage of resistance, celebration, and cultural expression. The joy, rhythms, and drums come from Africa; the melodies and flutes from Indigenous traditions. Together, they formed an art form that remains vibrantly alive to this day.

In África Vive en la Cumbia, Naty celebrates this heritage with a performance full of rhythm, movement, and stories.

Pedro Ricardo Henry is a Cuban dancer, choreographer, and teacher with Nigerian roots. Trained at the National School of Arts in Havana, he performed with Danza Contemporánea de Cuba and Ballet de la Televisión Cubana. Since moving to the Netherlands, he has worked with renowned companies such as Conny Janssen Danst, Via Berlin, and Sally Dance Company, while also developing his own project Cuba Meets the Netherlands.

Workshop – Yemayá

This workshop is dedicated to Yemayá, the Orisha of the sea and one of the most sacred figures in Afro-Cuban tradition. Through flowing, wave-like movements, participants are invited to embody her energy and experience dance as heritage, healing, and connection.

Performance – Cimarrón

Cimarrones were enslaved Africans who escaped plantations in the Americas and the Caribbean. In their self-governed communities, they kept their traditions alive and became symbols of resistance and resilience.

Pedro’s choreography Cimarrón is a tribute to their courage and legacy. Inspired by the Orisha Ogun—the warrior and protector of strength and labor—the piece embodies themes of survival, freedom, and dignity.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, and based in the Netherlands since the 1990s, Gerardo Rosales has toured the world and recorded more than 20 albums, collaborating with legends such as Oscar D’León. With his explosive energy and deep knowledge of Latin jazz, salsa, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, he knows how to get everyone onto the dance floor.

For Roots of Rhythm, the Gerardo Rosales Quintet presents a repertoire dedicated to Colombia and Cuba—a vibrant journey through iconic songs and infectious rhythms such as cumbia, mambo, cha-cha-chá, guajira, and guaguancó. Featuring the powerful voice of Cuban singer Coco Alfonso.

Angela Alfaro, founder of Latin Soul Dance in The Hague, curates an evening that celebrates the deep roots and vibrant rhythms of Afro-Latin culture. Through dance, music, stories, and food, she invites you into a shared space of celebration and connection.