Books Resources

Books for Cuban dancers — covering movement, history, rhythm, and the cultural context behind the music and dance this site explores. Each entry includes a description of what the book covers and why it is worth reading.

• Beyond Salsa for Beginners — Kevin Moore (2012) Beginner–Intermediate
  Beyond Salsa for Beginners (Kevin Moore, 2012): his first book for non-musicians, dancers and listeners, with history and hands-on rhythm training.
• Clave Matrix: Afro-Cuban Rhythm: Its Principles and African Origins — David Peñalosa (2009) Intermediate–Advanced
  The most thorough treatment of clave available in English — a deep investigation into the rhythmic foundation of all Cuban music. Essential for dancers who want to develop genuine musicality.
• Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo — Ned Sublette (2004) All levels
  Cuba and Its Music (Ned Sublette, 2004): the most complete English-language history of Cuban music, from the earliest music on the island to the mambo era.
• Dancing with Cuba — Alma Guillermoprieto (2004) All levels
  A memoir about studying modern dance at the Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana in 1970 — one of the most insightful books ever written about Cuban body culture, and essential reading for any serious Cuban dancer.
• Rumba: Dance and Social Change in Contemporary Cuba — Yvonne Daniel (1995) Intermediate–Advanced
  Rumba: Dance and Social Change (Yvonne Daniel, 1995): the definitive academic study of rumba as a living practice in Cuba, beneath timba and casino.
• Bailes Populares Cubanos — María Antonia Fernández (1978) Reference
  The classic Cuban reference on popular dance — written from inside Cuban dance culture by a Cuban scholar and practitioner. This is a primary source, not a Western academic interpretation.