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09/12/2026

BALBANCHA ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
 EMILIO YASMEL HERNÁNDEZ GONZÁLEZ Afro-Cuban Dance | Havana, Cuba
*link in bio*

We are thrilled to welcome Emilio Yasmel Hernández González back for his THIRD YEAR at the Balbancha Dance Festival!

A native of Havana, Cuba, Emilio studied at the School of Art Instructors of Havana and has built a distinguished career as a dancer, choreographer, and educator. He is a First-Level Solo Dancer and Principal Choreographer of Compañía Raíces Profundas, one of Cuba’s celebrated folkloric dance companies.
Emilio received the Ramiro Guerra Award for Best Folkloric Dance Performance in Cuba in 2016 and the National Choreography and Best Show Award in 2018–2019 for his work Patakkin. His artistry has taken him around the world as a performer, workshop leader, and jury member at international dance festivals and events.

TAKE AFRO-CUBAN WITH EMILIO!
Emilio’s Afro-Cuban class invites dancers to experience the power, rhythm, and cultural richness of Cuban dance traditions rooted in the African Diaspora. Dancers will explore Orisha dances from the Afro-Cuban Yoruba/Lukumí tradition, learning movement vocabulary, rhythms, gestures, and the distinct qualities associated with the Orishas. The class goes beyond learning steps—dancers will gain cultural context while exploring the deep relationship between the body, the drum, ancestral traditions, and community that lives within Afro-Cuban dance.

Come ready to move, learn, sweat, and deepen your understanding of the roots and traditions that continue to shape Afro-Cuban dance!

Balbancha Dance Festival 2026 Classes & Packages Available REGISTER TODAY: BALBANCHADANCE.COM

Come dance. Come learn. Come be in community.

Lukumi CubanDance AfricanDiaspora DiasporicDance DanceNewOrleans NewOrleansDance Balbancha2026

08/02/2026

✨Welcome to the Balbancha Dance Festival✨

More than a dance festival, Balbancha Dance Festival is a celebration of culture, community, and the transformative power of movement.

Rooted in the vibrant traditions of New Orleans, BDF brings together artists, educators, students, and audiences from across the world to learn, perform, and celebrate the diverse dance traditions that connect us.

BDF ‘26 Artists

Afro-Haitian with Nadia Dieudonné
Afro-Cuban with Emilio Hernandez Gonzalez
West African (Mali) with Djeneba Sako
New Orleans Bounce with Iman Marshall
Afro-Brazilian with Quenia Ribeiro
Grenadian Folklore with Dr. Shola K. Roberts
New Orleans Second Line Aesthetic with Michelle Gibson
Orisha Song with Chief Sekou Alajé

This is a place where traditions are preserved, cultures are celebrated, and community is built—one step at a time.

Join us October 30–November 1, 2026, as we dance together on the land known as Balbancha.

✨ balbanchadance.com

11/05/2024

The inaugural Balbancha Dance Weekend has to come to a close. What an excellent time to be in a community with each other.

Thank you to our participants who traveled from far and near to support. You all were committed to the entire process!

Thank you to our teachers
Nadia Dieudonné
Emilio Hernandez Gonzalez
Iman Marshall
Zakiya L Cornish
Michelle Gibson

The classes were on fire! Participants were taught not only the movement but also given a rich introduction to the dances. The knowledge and energy shared were top-notch. Thank you to our live drummers. For your energy and musicianship.

Thank you to Sha’Condria Sibley and Kristal Jones for contributing to our brunch. The line dance session and poetry fed our souls. We were tapping into unabashed Black Joy!

Thank you, Nailah Smith, for stepping into the role of Grand Marshall for our 2nd line. You were a physical representation of the beauty of the African Diaspora by dressing up as a Gede. Leading a sea of movers dressed in white and ushering us to the ancestor tree was the perfect ending to the spirit-filled weekend.

Thank you to our weekend volunteers! This would not have gone as smoothly without your help.

A special thank you to Mama Ausettua Amor Amenkum, Stephanie V. Mckee, Ferneasa Cutno, Jmoonfruit Janese, Andrea Peoples, and Tianna Pourciau Sykes for helping to make this Inaugural weekend a success. Your role, whether small or large, has helped this vision come to fruition.

Thank you, Creator, for orchestrating this divine moment.

Thank you, Ancestors, for paving the way. For it’s your shoulders we stand on.

God willing, see you all next year!!!

11/02/2024

Balbancha Post

Yesterday”s kick-off was a great success!

Thank you, Mama Ausettua Amor Amenkum, for the libation, and Iman Marshall, who started our dance journey with a New Orleans Bounce class.

Today we continue!

All roads lead to Bell Arts Space located at 2117 St Phillip St and N Johnson

1:00 pm- Afro-Cuban w/ Emilio Hernandez Gonzalez
3:15 pm- W African w/ Zakiya L Cornish
5:30 pm- Second-line Aesthetics w/ Michelle Gibson
7:45 pm- Haitian w/ Nadia Dieudonné

Sunday, we have Brunch and Second Line!

11 am Meet us at Sweet Lorraine’s
Performance by Sha’Condria iCon Sibley and a Line dance session with Kristal Jones

10/31/2024

BALBANCHA DANCE WEEKEND
✨️Artist Spotlight✨️

We are days away, you all!!!
Let me repeat this: We are days away from the kickoff of the Balbancha Dance Weekend.

I’m so excited about this artist. Flashback to Quarantine, and the few dance opportunities were on virtual spaces. IG Live is where I encountered this fantastic powerhouse.

Emilio Hernadez Gonzalez
Afro-Cuban

Emilio Yasmel Hernández González native of Havana, Cuba. Emilio studied at the School of Art Instructors of Havana Dancer and choreographer of musical shows, 1st Level Solo dancer and principal choreographer of the Raíces Profundas Company Ramiro Guerra Award 2016 for Best Folkloric Dance Performance in Cuba National Choreography and Best Show Award 2018-2019 with my work *Patakkin* Participated as a workshop leader and jury member in international dance events and festivals in different countries.

The Inaugural Balbancha Dance Weekend
Nov. 1st-3rd!

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of African Diaspora dance at “Balbancha Dance Weekend,” showcasing the rich diversity and powerful legacy of movement traditions spanning the African Diaspora.

REGISTER TODAY!
www.balbanchadance.com

10/30/2024

BALBANCHA DANCE WEEKEND

✨️Artist Spotlight✨️

Our fire lineup is not to be messed with. Kicking off the spotlight with my sister and teacher, Nadia Dieudonné

Nadia Dieudonné - Afro-Haitian

Nadia Dieudonné is a seasoned choreographer, performer, and dance educator who began dancing at an early age. By 12, Dieudonné was performing with well-known Haitian folk singer and community activist Myriam Dorismé. Dieudonné was also mentored by the Haitian dance icon Jean-León Destiné and worked with him for many years as a performer and assistant instructor. Dieudonné’s innate talent as a Haitian dancer grew stronger in 1990 when she began traveling to her homeland to research and study the origins, purpose of Haitian dance, and its connections to Africa. She honed her skills by attending several lakous in the countryside and attending esteemed dance schools in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and New York.
Today, due to her diligent work, research, and study of the heritage of Haitian dance, Dieudonné is known as one of the best banda dancers outside of Haiti. Her passion for dance led her to establish Nadia Dieudonné & Feet of Rhythm, a Brooklyn-based Haitian dance company specializing in theater performances with live instrumentation. In the founding of this organization, Dieudonné also created Feet of Rhythm Kids to include Haitian-American youth who are not aware of nor exposed to the vibrant culture of Haiti. Through their performances and signature cultural program called “Konbit,” Feet of Rhythm has been educating the community through the performing arts for almost three decades.

The Inaugural Balbancha Dance Weekend
Nov. 1st-3rd!

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of African Diaspora dance at “Balbancha Dance Weekend,” showcasing the rich diversity and powerful legacy of movement traditions spanning the African Diaspora.

REGISTER TODAY!
www.balbanchadance.com

10/25/2024

Omg!
We are a week away from the Inaugural Balbancha Dance Weekend!

A promise of a fun-filled weekend of celebrating and learning the dances of the African Diaspora. This is not your typical festival but instead an experience. We can't wait to share space with you all ✨💚✨

Friday
Reg check-in
Libation
Kick-off dance class with Iman Marshall teaching Bounce

Saturday
Emilio Hernandez Gonzalez teaching Afro-Cuban
Zakiya L Cornish teaching W. African
Michelle Gibson teaching Second Line Aesthetic
Nadia Dieudonné teaching Haitian Gede

*There will be live drumming in each folkloric class

Sunday
A White Brunch performance by Sha’Condria iCon Sibley, a line dance session less by Kristal Jones
Honoring New Orleans culture bearers who have transitioned
A Second Line Processional to Congo Square
A bantaba at Congo Square

What are the many ways you can participate?
You can purchase a
✨Weekend pass
✨Saturday pass
✨Individual class
✨Brunch tickets

More info and purchase tickets
at balbanchadance.com

10/20/2024

I had a great time teaching at the Dance Grenada Festival. When I return, I will be in full swing with the final prep of the Inaugural Balbancha Dance Weekend.

November 1-3, come on out for three days of learning and celebrating the dances and culture of the African Diaspora.

Today is the last day to take advantage of the Early bird Special. Get 15% off tickets for the event.

For more info and to purchase packages, check out our website.
Balbanchadance.com

Address

New Orleans, LA

Website

http://www.evolvediaspora.com/

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