At the Feet of the Masters: Witnessing Eleguá at Conjunto Folkloric Nacional de Cuba

There's something unmistakable about the presence of spirit in movement. I felt it one afternoon while watching Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba perform at in Havana. A group of college students and I gathered in their rehearsal space, the kind of space where the walls hold memory and every corner echoes with rhythm. I was there as a student of rumba, primarily Yambú and Guaguancó, but what I witnessed during that performance stirred something deeper.

Richard, one of the company’s principal dancers, took the stage embodying Eleguá—the Orisha known as the opener of paths, the guardian of crossroads, the child-like trickster who also holds ancient wisdom. Dressed in red and black, with movements that balanced mischief and reverence, he brought Eleguá to life in a way that felt both theatrical and sacred. I hadn’t formally studied Orisha dances during this trip, but in that moment, I began to understand why they hold such weight in Afro-Cuban culture.

Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba opening performance with Elegua

What stood out most wasn’t just the choreography, but the intention. Every step, every gesture, felt rooted in something older than all of us. The rhythms, played live by the musicians, seemed to pull Richard through time—not performing Eleguá, but channeling him.

I sat across watching my drum teacher Israel, who was playing the okónkolo part for the piece. Earlier, he had taught me that very rhythm, patiently walking me through the conversation that drum has with the others. That memory added another layer to the moment—as I listened, I could hear the part I had learned, woven seamlessly into a collective spiritual pulse.

Bata Lesson at Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba

The whole experience was a reminder: sometimes, the most powerful lessons come not from direct instruction, but from immersion and observation. Though I didn’t study Eleguá's dance in class, I felt his story and significance through Richard’s performance, through the music, through the space itself. It re-centered me. It reminded me that to study rhythm and movement is also to study story, ancestry, and spirit.

This performance planted a seed. One I know will grow as I continue learning, teaching, and building bridges between Afro-diasporic cultures. Eleguá opens the path, and I’m just getting started.