Ailey Extension's Afro-Cuban on-demand class with La Mora. Photo courtesy of Coal Rietenbach

This Black History Month, Ailey Extension is taking students on a virtual world tour exploring a range of dance techniques from across the African diaspora. Throughout February, dancers are invited to participate in special workshops and weekly classes that will expose them to the rich history of dances born from different Black communities in the USA, Caribbean, South America, and the continent of Africa.

Crowd-favorite La Mora returns on Saturday, February 20 at 2pmET for an Afro-Cuban Live workshop to help students explore various forms of the Afro-Cuban dance tradition including different movements representing the Orishas - deities from the West African Yoruba traditions brought to Cuba. Originally hailing from Santiago de Cuba, La Mora’s expertise in the unique styles of her native region will help students embrace an understanding of the cultural and historical context of each step. Dancers who cannot make the live workshop can instead opt for the Afro-Cuban On-demand version that will be made available from February 21 through the end of the month.