A multimedia documentary work by Leslie Cunningham on the Black and Cuban traveling show that redefined entertainment and shattered racial barriers during Jim Crow. Experience the Legacy of The Harlem in Havana Project
Winner of the “Uncovering History Award“, ” by Dancinema! Welcome to The Harlem in Havana Project, a groundbreaking multimedia documentary initiative by award-winning filmmaker and cultural historian Leslie Cunningham. Part archival resurrection, part artistic tribute, and part living movement, this bold cultural revival brings to light the untold story of Harlem in Havana—the legendary Black and Cuban traveling girl show that shattered racial barriers and redefined American entertainment during the Jim Crow era. A Multimedia Masterpiece Honoring Resistance, Rhythm & Radiance:
At the heart of this project is Leon Claxton, Leslie’s grandfather—a visionary Black impresario who produced Harlem in Havana and the Harlem R***e from the 1930s to the 1960s. His revues lit up the midway stages of North America, fusing Afro-Cuban music, comedy, dance, and burlesque into an unstoppable spectacle that culminated in an hour+ long extravaganza that consistently left fairgoers across North America spellbound. The show served as a launchpad for music legends like Fontella Bass, Rufus Thomas, Chuck Berry, and Mercedes Valdes, and left an indelible mark on American entertainment history in ways that still resonate with wonder today. The Brown Skin Showgirls—trailblazing women like Leslie’s grandmother Shirley Bates, the show’s lead dancer and an early icon of Black burlesque. Through Cunningham’s rich and immersive storytelling, this forgotten history returns to center stage in film, photography, archives, performance, education, and ancestral celebration. The Project Includes:
-JIG SHOW: Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana
-Photography Exhibitions & Brown Skin Showgirls Books
-Burlesque Education Series & online class “My Grandma Was an Exotic Dancer?!”
-Digital Magazine, Legacy Poem, Music Playlist
-Brown Skin Showgirls Live Events and Performances, and Museum Exhibits
-Website home: harleminhavana.com. Making an Impact, Reigniting a Movement:
From Dancinema Film Festival honors to museum exhibits at the Burlesque Hall of Fame, from Black burlesque education scholarships to international recognition—The Harlem in Havana Project is more than a documentary. The Harlem in Havana Project has presented at:
-SLIPPAGE @ Duke University Fall Series, 2021
-Hayti Film Festival, Black Filmmakers Collective, 2021
-Art of Tease, 2022
-BurlyCon, 2022
-Rose Academy of Burlesque, 2022
-International BookLovers Burlesque Festival, 2023
-Atlanta School of Burlesque, 2024
-Burlesque Hall of Fame, 2025
-Cucalorus Film Festival Work in Progress Program, 2015
Academic Praise: Duke’s Dr. Thomas DeFrantz calls the film “an invaluable document of the routes of Black music and dance.”
Historic Reclamation: The traveling exhibition, live events, and education series are reviving a buried legacy while inspiring the next generation of performers and scholars. Creative Expansion: Leslie is currently penning a Harlem in Havana feature film screenplay for the big screen. Why It Matters Now
This is an epic story of joyful resistance, cultural survival, and unapologetic Black and Afro-Latin excellence. In a world still reckoning with systemic racism, Harlem in Havana reminds us that beauty, artistry, and brilliance thrived even in the shadows of segregation. It’s time the world knew this story. Contact us to learn more.
