Juan Campos Cárdenas "Chan"

Juan "Chan" Campos Cárdenas was born on February 19, 1938 in Havana, Cuba, in the tenement "El África" of the "Cayo Hueso" neighborhood. His mother gave him the nickname "Chan" because of his love for a popular radio program of the time called "Chan Li Po" (a kind of Chinese-Cuban vaudeville comedy). After living in "El África" for 20 years, he moved to the neighborhood of "Belén". He began performing rumba along with Rolando Rodriguez Oliva "Malanga" (not to be confused with the one from Union de Reyes, Matanzas). In "El África" he witnessed (legendary) rumberos like Manguín, Gancedo, and El Cojo Mojáo. Of the six brothers in his family, three dedicated themselves to rumba: Regalado (deceased), Ricardo (El Chiqui), and Chan. He participated in comparsas (carnaval groups) including El Brillante Negro, Los Guaracheros, La Sultana, La Mexicana, and Los Componedores de Batea de Cayo Hueso. With friends from "El África" he co-founded "La Estrella de Pueblo Nuevo" with Gilberto Sierra, Manguín, Malanga, Ricardo Carballo, Regalado and Roberto Maza.

In his youth he worked as a longshoreman to make ends meet. He also worked for a time at Radio Marianao (a local radio station). Chan was a member of Papín y sus Rumberos before the group changed it's name to (the famous) cuartet Los Papines, with Malanga, Fidel (who lived in Los Pocitos), and Fuico. He was also in the group Patakín. He is most famously associated with Grupo Maritimo Portuario which, in 1981, become Yoruba Andabo, with his co-founders Francisco Hernandez Mora "Pancho Quinto", Calixto Callavas, Justo Marino Garcia "El Marino", Geovani del Pino Rodriguez, Jacinto Scull Castillo "El Chori", Pedro Celestino Fariñas, Ricardo Campos Lastra "El Chiqui", and others

Chan holds the ceremonial rank of "Isué" of the fraternal Abakuá society "Muñanga Efó". In the Ocha (Orisha) community he is Omo Oshún, and also a "Bakonfula" in the Palo Congo tradition.

Daybert Linares

Born and raised in Cuba, Daybert Linares Díaz is a Ph.D. student of contemporary Latin American literature with a focus on the Caribbean at the University of Maryland, College Park. Daybert has been teaching Cuban dances such as son, son montuno, casino, rueda de casino, and chachachá for over seven years, focusing on the social aspect of these dancers—which is why you won’t see him perform. He is the editor of the popular Cuban dance and music blog, Son y Casino, and has taught workshops in Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore and the southern Maryland areas, New York, North Virginia, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Savannah, and Washington, D.C.

Roberto Borrell

Roberto Borrell learned traditional and popular Afro-Cuban dance, percussion, and song from master musicians and dancers while growing up in la Havana Vieja, Havana, Cuba. He is a respected dancer and percussionist of Afro-Cuban Yoruba, Abakua (Calabar), Rumba, Arará (Dahony), and Palo (Congo). He also a master dancer and teacher of Cuban popular dance styles such as son montuno, danzón, and cha cha cha.

Mr. Borrell led the Afro-Cuban folkloric group Kubata in Cuba for 10 years before coming to the United States in 1980, where he founded a new company under the same name. Kubata, then based in New York City, performed Roberto’s productions for 10 years in many major East Coast venues, such as the Smithsonian, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. He also was founder and musical director of the famous New York-based Son Grupo, part of Kubata productions. 

Borrell danced in the front line of the Folklorico Nacional de Cuba for several years and, in major United States venues, has performed and recorded both as a dancer and percussionist, with legends such as Tito Puente, the Machete Ensemble, Chocolate Armenteros, “Cachao” Lopez, and Richard Egües.

Mr. Borrell was the co-founder, percussionist and musical co-director of the 11-member Orquesta la Moderna Tradición, one of the only ensembles in the United States that is dedicated to the performance of classic Cuban dance music: son, guaracha, cha cha cha, and especially the lilting grooves of the danzón.

Ana Llorente

Ana started her dance career in Havana, where she graduated with Honors from the Cuban National School of Arts specializing in Contemporary Dance and Afro-Cuban Folklore. Her extensive training resulted in a scholarship in Choreography at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. This scholarship, coming from a USA based institution, was a unique opportunity for a Cuban citizen. The “UNEAC“ Cuban National institution of Writers and Artists recognized her as the best performer and choreographer in the country at the invitational Dance Competition in Havana. Ana has taken part as a dancer and choreographer in many internationally televised programs like: “Ballroom in Concert” (Vienna, Austria), “Ballroom Fever” (City Center, New York), Miss Venezuela International”, Dance Yuma Factory” in Japan, America’s Got Talent, ”Unforgettable Boleros with Ricardo Montalban, “Heritage DanceSport Championships” with Cyd Charisse, PBS Television Special for USA Dancesport Championships and First World Mambo Competition, International Dance Festival (Vail, Colorado), CNN USA Dance news, Vail International Dance Festival, “Sabado Gigante”, “Mira Quien Baila”, Univision TV Channel, Millenium Dancesport Championships. You can find her in MTV videos for: Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Will Smith, Julio Iglesias, Chayanne, Vanessa Williams, Gipsy Kings in Concert, Julio Iglesias, famous Latin singer Johnny Ventura and she was the principal dancer of “Dirty Dancing”#2 movie: “Havana Nights”.

Ana has won numerous National and International Dance honors and titles: World Mambo Champion, Argentine Tango World finalist, USA, World, and Canadian American Rhythm Champion. Ana is well known for bringing a real and authentic Latin flavor to the Dance World along with her understanding of modern choreography and its application to the body.