CAMAGÜEY. The folkloric company Camagua will mark its 15th anniversary with a program that, while shaped by the constraints of Cuba’s current economic situation, offers a broad look at the different facets of its artistic work.
Founded and directed by Fernando Medrano Vireya, the ensemble has designed a schedule that includes a theoretical event this Friday, April 10th, at 9:00 a.m. at the Santa Cecilia Convention Center, as well as the premiere of a documentary dedicated to the Camagua Folk Dance Festival, an initiative that successfully ran for five editions.
The main event will take place on Saturday, April 11th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Avellaneda Theater, featuring a gala performance that brings together excerpts from three representative works in the company’s repertoire: Ballroom Dances, Caballero, May His Music Play Forever—a tribute to musician Adalberto Álvarez—and Chancleteando.
During a press conference, Medrano acknowledged that these 15 years have been marked by “a great deal of work, many difficulties, and a significant exodus of dancers,” while emphasizing the group’s ability to remain active.
Camagua currently maintains a professional ensemble made up of 12 dance couples and 10 musicians, allowing it to uphold live music as one of its defining features.
The company also runs a children’s project, Ilusión, conceived as a training ground for emerging talent, along with a youth ensemble that ensures the group’s artistic continuity.
With 45 years of experience leading dance and music groups—beginning with the Maraguán Artistic Ensemble at the University of Camagüey—Medrano has developed a distinctive style in Camagua, grounded in choreographic theatricality and research into folkloric traditions, later brought to the stage.
Future plans include reviving earlier productions, a goal that will depend on the development of recently incorporated young members.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the company also plans to share congratulatory messages from former members on social media, in a gesture that honors the history and sense of belonging that have defined Camagua over the past 15 years.
Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez