FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lisa Vieira

650-823-1909

lisa@plustwomarketing.com

Compañia All Stars from Santiago de Cuba Makes
West Coast Premiere at Brava Theater on May 21 & 22

Rueda Con Ritmo Hosts 11-Member Company for Three-Week Bay Area Residency     

SAN FRANCISCO — May 11, 2016 — Rueda Con Ritmo, a community of Cuban salsa dancers offering classes, events, and performances, presents Compañia All Stars direct from Santiago de Cuba in their West Coast performance debut at Brava Theater on Saturday, May 21. Compañia All Stars is a professional dance company dedicated to Cuban popular dance such as Són, Danzón, Rumba, Conga, Rueda de Casino, and more. Details on the performances at Brava Theater:

• Compañia All Stars from Santiago de Cuba directed and choreographed by Jorge Luna Roque

• Saturday, May 21, 8:00pm: $35 reserved seating; $65 VIP admission (includes a pre-show reception with an open bar starting at 6:30pm); after-show dance party open to all ticket holders until 11:00pm

• Sunday, May 22, 8:00pm: $25 reserved seating

In addition the Brava shows, the All Stars will teach and perform throughout the Bay Area and beyond during their three-week residency. A major highlight is participation with Rueda Con Ritmo in San Francisco Carnaval. Santiago is renowned in Cuba and around the world for its annual carnaval celebration featuring lively music and costumed dancers. This year, the Rueda Con Ritmo contingent is over 150 members strong and will perform choreography created by both Rueda Con Ritmo and All Stars directors. Other happenings during the All Stars’ action-packed residency include:

• May 19 - Performance with Orquesta Moderna Tradición at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

• May 29 - San Francisco Carnaval Grand Parade and Stage Performance with Rueda Con Ritmo

• June 3 - Performance and Classes at Friday Nights at the de Young

• Classes and Demonstrations at Bay Area Elementary and High Schools

• Intensive Workshops in San Francisco, Oakland, Mountain View, Calif. and Santa Cruz, Calif.

• Dance Parties and Cultural Exchanges throughout the Bay Area and Beyond

See the Rueda Con Ritmo website for full details on all performances and workshops: http://www.ruedaconritmo.com/events/all-stars.

Ryan Mead and Sidney Weaverling, Rueda Con Ritmo Co-Directors, were introduced to Jorge Luna Roque, Compañia All Stars Director, during a trip to Cuba in 2014. Instant collaborators, Mead and Weaverling have since brought three groups representing more than 100 students on legal trips to Cuba to study and perform with the All Stars and other local companies and instructors in Santiago, Havana, and other locations.

The All Stars’ three-week Bay Area residency was made possible through fiscal sponsorship by Brava! For Women in the Arts and donations from members of the Rueda Con Ritmo community. The group has raised over $20,000 in donations so far to cover the costs of visa applications and travel for the 11-member company. Several of the dancers have never been outside Cuba, and this California residency brings the “people-to-people” exchange full circle.

“We’ve received tremendous support from Brava and from our friends and students,” said Ryan Mead, Rueda Con Ritmo Co-Founder and Co-Director. “In a true cultural exchange, our community is embracing the All Stars completely, providing housing, meals, transportation and—we’re certain—lasting friendships.”

“It is a dream come true to bring the All Stars to California,” continued Sidney Weaverling, Rueda Con Ritmo Co-Founder and Co-Director. “We’re thrilled to offer our students the opportunity to study with modern masters here at home.”

“We are excited to spend three weeks in California, and overwhelmed by the enthusiasm that has made our residency possible,” said Jorge Roque Luna, Director, Compañia All Stars. “Our relationship with Rueda Con Ritmo goes beyond artistic collaboration; we are family.”

About Rueda Con Ritmo

Founded in San Francisco in 2007, Rueda Con Ritmo is a community of Cuban Salsa dancers offering classes, events, and performances throughout the Bay Area and beyond, plus dance study trips to Cuba. We strive to create a warm and inclusive atmosphere that welcomes dancers of all levels, from all backgrounds, and of all ages. We believe that everyone can learn to dance and it is our goal for each person who attends our classes to improve their dancing while having fun and making friends. Learn more at http://www.ruedaconritmo.com.

About Compañia All Stars

Students from the Antonio Maceo Vocational School formed Compañia All Stars in 2004 at the invitation of director Jorge Roque Luna. The company is dedicated to Cuban popular dance and “bailes de salón,” such as Són, Danzón, Rumba, Conga, Rueda de Casino, and more. Based in Santiago de Cuba, the All Stars teach and perform throughout the island as well as internationally. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/Compa%C3%B1%C3%ADa-All-Stars-Santiago-de-Cuba-559222660754946/.

About Brava! For Women in the Arts

Brava! For Women in the Arts, a professional arts organization, owns and operates the Brava Theater Center.  At BRAVA we produce, present and cultivate the artistic expression of women, people of color, youth, LGBTQ and other unheard voices.  Founded in 1986 by Ellen Gavin and an eclectic and talented group of women, Brava! For Women in the Arts was created to give voice to the unspoken realities of women's lives through the creation of new theater works. Learn more at http://www.brava.org.