Movement as Cultural Memory: Investigating the Preservation and Adaptation of Afro-Cuban Dance in the U.S. Diaspora

Abstract

This paper examines how Afro-Cuban dance is preserved and adapted as embodied cultural memory in the United States. Drawing on scholarly research and participant observation conducted in New York City and Miami during summer 2026, I compare how instructors transmit movement alongside rhythm, history, spirituality, symbolism, and communal participation. New York situated Afro-Cuban movement within a broader network of African diasporic traditions, while Miami instruction more explicitly connected Cuban folkloric movement to specific histories and social practices. I argue that adaptation does not necessarily constitute cultural loss: traditions can transform while retaining cultural meaning when movement remains connected to its historical and communal foundations.