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September 5, 2008
Havanah in Vancouver
Cuban dance classes can be transformational.
KATHARINE HAMER
Chen Lizra went to business school with a dream – she just had to figure out what that dream was.
After moving to Vancouver from Israel to study animation, she worked in the film industry for eight years before quitting, "to do some soul-searching." Then, she enrolled at Capilano University. "I had the idea of doing something that I really loved, that would be exceptional, that wouldn't be the normal life that most people have.... I wanted a dream job, so I decided to go to school to learn how to be able to create that."
What Lizra hit upon was to build a business around her greatest passion – Latin dance. Three years later, her company, Latidos Productions, is doing famously, with classes, workshops and events on offer across Vancouver. This fall, it's set to expand, with the addition of a new teacher, Graeme Sampson, and plans in the works for a guided trip to Cuba next summer. Lizra is also developing her own line of jewelry.
Fresh off her own annual expedition to Havana, Lizra is pumped about the skills she'll be able to share with her students. The teachers with whom she worked in Cuba taught her "a whole new direction to the classes," she said. "Now we can get people onto the dance floor much quicker. I'm really excited about it."
In addition to offering classes in salsa, rueda, rhumba and Afro-Cuban movement, Latidos Productions is the only place in town for those who want to learn reggaeton, the sultry Cuban dance that, as Lizra noted, is all about seduction. "It's really bringing a sexiness and Cuban flavor to the city," she said.
"We're missing that here [in Vancouver] – we're missing that playfulness and sexiness. There's all this sexual harassment talk and fear, and people come and they're so surprised. They love the sexual energy and the fun, but they're not used to it, because people have been told for many years, 'You cannot behave this way, and it can be dangerous for you.' So you go somewhere else to feel it. Why not feel it here?"
All of Lizra's classes feature not just a lesson in movement, but a taste of folklore. She is passionate about the history of each dance.
"It's been an incredible journey going back and forth [to Cuba] all the time," she said. "Now, I'm from the inside, because I know a lot of people and I know how things work and I understand a bit of the culture. Latin culture is very similar to Israeli culture – [there is] the same directness...."
Lizra maintains high standards for herself and her students. On every visit to Cuba, she furthers her technique and learns new steps – something that she said sets her company apart from many of the other Latin teachers in town.
"Latidos Productions is based on the knowledge of professional dancers," she said, "so I go and train with professional dancers in Cuba, and then I learn from the community. In Cuba, dancers have to train for seven years in order to become professional, so their level of expertise and ability is unreal."
Realizing that she could actually live her dreams has been "an incredible journey," said Lizra, "because really, I don't think about, 'Oh, it's Friday,' or say, 'Oh, shoot, it's Monday,' because I love what I do. I get incredible e-mails from people about what I'm doing and what I'm bringing to their lives. It's so gratifying. If I teach a class with women and it's sexy, and I see how sexy they become and how good they feel about themselves, or a group of people coming learning samba [and] they struggle to let go – the women to relax, the men to really lead ... and then they take on this transformation in their lives.
"It's so great to wake up in the morning and like what you do and be inspired by it. I have so much energy, because I dance every day, I let go of past stuff, so I don't hold baggage, and I'm doing what I love – I'm pursuing my dreams."
To learn more, or to register for classes, visit www.latidosproductions.com.
Katharine Hamer is a Vancouver freelance writer and editor. Her website is www.literaryparamedic.com.
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