Afro-cuban dancer/folklorist to teach and perform

José Francisco Barroso, renowned Afro-Cuban dancer, folklorist and teacher will be the Dance Program’s guest artist-in-residence in February and return to campus to perform at Mills Hall Friday, March 8.

During his residency, Barroso will conduct auditions for students and others interested in learning and performing dances of the Afro-Cuban Orisha accompanied by elegant and powerful Bata drumming.

Following the February audition and rehearsals, Barroso and selected dancers will perform in the 4th Annual Sin Fronteras Multicultural Extravaganza with renowned musicians Omar Sosa and Arts Institute Interdisciplinary Artist-in-Residence John Santos.

The event is sponsored by the Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program and the School of Music along with participating campus partners including the Afro-American Studies Department, PEOPLE Program and Dance Program.

Barroso, a native of Havana, Cuba, began dancing professionally at age 18 when he was invited to join one of Cuba’s premier folkloric companies, Raices Profundas.

Subsequently, he performed and taught at cultural centers and theaters throughout Havana. He also trained with various Cuban master folklorists, including Juan de Dios Ramos “Ifa priest,” and Pancho Quinto “Baba Orisha and Omo Aña.”

In 1994, Barroso moved to the United States where he’s been enthusiastically received and embraced as an artist and teacher. In 1996, he formed Obakoso, a group “dedicated to preserving the living legacy of dance, music, song and cultural traditions brought to Cuba in the minds and hearts of Africans torn from their homelands during the slave trade.”

How to audition: Interested dancers must be able to attend all rehearsals. Audition: Saturday, Feb. 16, 1:30-5 p.m. (includes rehearsal). Other rehearsals: Sunday, Feb. 17, noon-4 p.m., Monday-Friday, Feb. 18-22, 6-10 p.m. All in Studio 549, Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Ave.

For information about Barroso’s residency, call the Dance Program, (608) 262-1691. For Sin Fronteras Multicultural Extravaganza tickets, call the Wisconsin Union Theater Box Office, (608) 262-2201.